Former Ontario Tech women's soccer player Jessica Mithrush was awarded the Ridgebacks Alumni Award of Distinction at the 18th annual Ontario Tech athletic awards gala.
 
The award is aimed to honour distinguished alumni who represented the heart, soul and spirit of the Ridgebacks throughout their varsity career and continue to do so in their professional careers. The award recognizes one Ontario Tech graduate who was a varsity athlete who demonstrates proven leadership skills, exceptional business or industry achievements, and outstanding community contributions. 
 
Mithrush is the fourth recipient of the award, which was first presented at the 2022 gala to Jaclyn Gibson, and won by Shannon Galea in 2024.

Mithrush joined the Ridgebacks in 2013 as a member of the inaugural women's soccer team and she helped establish a Ridgebacks culture that would go on to win the OUA Women's Soccer Championship in 2016 where she was a key veteran on the team. While at Ontario Tech, she arranged a cleat donation for youth in Uganda to help strengthen their soccer programs and went on to graduate from nursing program and has been helping people ever since as a nurse at Lakeridge Health Oshawa

She persevered through challenges of working on the COVID-19 floor during the pandemic and has always maintained a positive attitude no matter what she is been faced with.  She is now a member of the critical care unit and involved in the training of nurses. Most recently, Jessica took an unpaid leave and arranged a team of nurses to spend a month volunteering in Tanzania making an incredible impact.