When Erin Osselton’s parents considered names for their newborn daughter, they jokingly wondered about the chance that she would marry someone whose last name was Dale—after all, what were the odds that she would end up with a name matching that of Erindale College?
It would seem that they tempted fate. In high school, their daughter met Sean Dale, and they became inseparable. Osselton enrolled at the U of T Mississauga campus in 2002, where she lived in Roy Ivor Hall and studied English and professional writing. Her favourite profs? Mark Levene and Guy Allen. Her favourite spot on campus? “The Pub,” she admits, laughing.
After graduation, Erin and Sean decided to tie the knot. And, not surprisingly, her parents’ crib-side conversation came up in the wedding speeches on the day she officially became Erin Dale.
“People ask me about it all the time,” says Dale, who is now the community relations coordinator with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Peel. “In a way, it’s kind of a great icebreaker when I’m speaking at a public event.”
Dale’s work at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Peel has brought her back to campus, where she works with the Office of Student Affairs to run the UTM Group Mentoring Program. UTM students who volunteer with the program can help local children living in stressful environments to enhance their self-esteem by acting as a consistent role models and friends. As a result of this and other initiatives, BBBSP honoured U of T Mississauga as Community Partner of the Year for 2012.
And as for sharing her name with her alma mater? Erin Dale has no doubts: “I’m very proud of my name—and I’m proud that I went to UTM.”
Originally published in the U of T Mississauga magazine.
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