Senator Sharon Burey said she is humbled and surprised to be named the 2025-26 recipient of Assumption University’s Christian Culture Series Gold Medal.

This award, since first bestowed in 1941, honours individuals whose life and work exemplify Christian ideals.

Before her appointment to the Senate on Nov. 21, 2022, Burey practised as a behavioural pediatrician in Ontario for over 32 years. The 68-year-old told The Catholic Register how deep introspection has guided her throughout her personal and professional life. Upon learning she would receive the Windsor, Ont., university's gold medal, she began reflecting deeply about the values that moulded her.

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“What I was taught by my parents growing up and also (through) working and honouring in service, was compassion, integrity and truly embracing the words of one of my favourites, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” said Burey, who emigrated from Jamaica in 1976. “I think of him in the letter from the Birmingham City Jail when he said, ‘we are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly.’ It was really important for me to understand that.

“Cultivating the tenets of goodness, discipline and knowledge taught by St. Basil the Great was also important to me because it exemplified what had guided me through my life. These are the reflections that made me say ‘yes,’ and I am truly honoured and humbled to have been named the recipient of this year’s award.”

Assumption University President and Vice-Chancellor John Cappucci offered further insight by outlining why Burey is a fitting candidate to stand alongside previous winners, such as Henry Ford II, Marshall McLuhan, Moira McQueen and Graydon Nicholas.

“She is an outstanding example of how one can live out their Christian faith while still making significant contributions to Canadian society," said Cappucci. "In Senator Burey's case, she has worked to help countless children as a pediatrician in Windsor-Essex, particularly those struggling with ADHD. As a senator, she represents our community positively by striving for social justice constantly — a key pillar of Assumption University and the Catholic Church.”

In June 2024, Burey launched an inquiry into mental health, substance abuse and addiction parity and guided a roundtable of experts to promote reforms accentuating community-based care, stronger federal-provincial-Indigenous collaboration, early intervention and the need to formally enshrine mental health parity — treating mental health on par with physical health — in legislation.

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“It was impactful because it has kept the conversation going and we are still working on it,” said Burey. “Things take time, but the engagement is there. The thing I've learned in life is that you can't go in with preconceived ideas. You have to remain in dialogue.”

Advocating for the developmental well-being of children is another of Burey’s cornerstone values. Her maxim is that “while children are 20 per cent of our population, they represent 100 per cent of our future.”

Burey still prefers to call herself a pediatrician rather than a politician, but recognizes she is now championing her causes in a political environment animated by partisanism. She strives to navigate this terrain with a sincere desire to build relationships.

“When you listen, you're kind, you're generous with your ideas and your time and you show up as yourself authentically, it's like every action has an equal and opposite reaction,” said Burey. "When you treat people with dignity and if you have humility, that’s what you get back.”

The awards ceremony on April 8 at Our Lady of Assumption Church in Windsor will provide Burey a platform to dialogue and share her convictions with attendees. 

“It is a community effort and a community award because we all did it together,” said Burey. “We all did it in dialogue, and it does say something about the community that one of its members was (named) a recipient of this award. So, it really is about our community in Windsor-Essex. I'm just so thrilled about the historic Assumption University. I'm going to stress service because I think that is central and that's what brings a community together.”

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Regarding how faith enlivens Burey’s life, she hails from a long line of pastors in her family. Though called to follow in the footsteps of her forebearers, she strived to bring the same spirit of service to her work in medicine and community building. She begins each day in meditation and reflection and spends time delving into her Bible.

Visit Assumption University’s YouTube account to watch Burey’s speech.