Jonathan Mott-Trille '84, The Nancy S. Cohen Distinguished Service Award Recipient 2024
"From the moment I joined TFS, it opened my eyes to the possibilities of doing things and seeing things in a different way. My classmates were from all kinds of backgrounds, my teachers were from around the world, and the curriculum was both international and from Ontario. There was this fearless openness to new ways of doing things that was very influential on my life."
Born to a Jamaican father and an English mother, Jonathan Mott-Trille (affectionately known as “Mott” in the community) has been a part of TFS in nearly every decade since it was founded in 1962.
Prior to returning to Toronto to earn a Master’s of Education at U of T and join TFS as an educator, Mott spent a number of years as a teacher at a girls’ and a separate boys’ boarding school, and as an assistant lecturer at teacher’s college.
Head Bill Boyer offered him his first job at what was then the Mississauga Campus when, as Mott recounts, “teaching positions anywhere in the province were harder to find than Maple Leafs Stanley Cups.” Over the years he has taught many courses, including Theory of Knowledge, English and IT, coached a number of sports teams, and supported a myriad of outreach initiatives. Today, Mott also serves as president of the teacher’s union. He is also an avid tennis player and musician, and is married to a colleague, Ms. Mak. Their two daughters Marlee and Téa are both thriving students at TFS.
Mott’s impact continues to resonate across the entire TFS community.
