Catholic Education Centre
80 Sheppard Avenue East
North York, ON M2N 6E8
Dr. Marissa Largo is honoured to serve as the elected Trustee for Ward 7, representing the families, students, and communities of Scarborough Centre and Scarborough-Agincourt. A committed Catholic, educator, researcher, and Toronto Catholic District School Board parent, she is committed to strengthening the gift of Catholic education for future generations.
The daughter of Filipino immigrants, Marissa's life has been shaped by faith, family, and a belief in the transformative power of Catholic education. She understands the aspirations and sacrifices of newcomer and working families and is passionate about ensuring that every student feels seen, valued, and supported.
With a PhD in Education from the University of Toronto and 13 years of experience as a TCDSB secondary teacher, Marissa taught Visual Arts and Religious Education at Mary Ward Catholic Secondary School: Centre for Self-Directed Learning from 2006 to 2020. There, she worked to nurture both the creative gifts and spiritual growth of her students. She believes that Catholic education is at its best when it forms the whole person, fostering faith, intellectual curiosity, athletic participation, artistic expression, and service to others.
She is a long-time member for the TCDSB Filipino Advisory Committee and was coordinator of the PASSOC Project: Philippine Arts and Social Studies in the Ontario Curriculum, a collaboration between the TCDSB and York University that developed culturally relevant Filipino-focused curricular resources. In 2019, she received the Certificate of Excellence for Advancing Student Success and Engagement of the Filipino Community presented at the Filipino Heritage Month celebration at the Catholic Education Centre. From 2020 to 2024, Marissa served as a Parent Representative on the TCDSB Special Board Advisory Committee on Race Relations.
Marissa is Associate Professor of Creative Technologies at York University, where her teaching focuses on art theory and practice. Her arts-based research explores Catholic education, migration, equity, and the experiences of marginalized communities, with a focus on fostering inclusion in schools. She has been awarded numerous prestigious awards and grants for her research and creative practice.
As an educator and a parent, Marissa understands the challenges and opportunities facing Catholic education today. She is committed to student achievement and well-being, and to strengthening relationships among schools, families, and parishes. Inspired by Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, she advocates for ethical approaches to artificial intelligence that place human dignity and creativity at the centre of innovation and learning.
Marissa believes Catholic education remains one of our greatest gifts: forming young people not only for academic success, but also for lives of faith, service, compassion, and leadership. Guided by Gospel values and Catholic social teaching, she is committed to working collaboratively with students, families, staff, clergy, and community partners to ensure every child can flourish.
