Awards Night honours students and donors for valuing academic excellence
More than 200 students, donors and faculty members gathered on Wednesday, February 1, 2017 to celebrate our many student success stories. Awards Night allows our generous donors who create scholarships and awards to meet some of the many talented students who receive their support. These are some of the award-winning students who spoke at the event:
Janelle Gobin – staff photo
Janelle Gobin (Arts) is in her 4th year, Political Science, Honours.
Growing up in the village of St. Claude, Manitoba, Janelle had an interest in politics, serving as her high school Student Council President, while also maintaining strong grades. A few years ago she “shadowed” her local MLA, Blaine Pederson, following him around the Manitoba Legislature. She was hooked.
“It was a great experience and it really kick-started my interest in government and policy,” she says. Her hard work earned Janelle the prestigious Walter Leatherdale Entrance Scholarship valued, at $48,000 over four years. Today Janelle is co-President of UWinnipeg’s Political Science Students Society, and she intends to pursue a Masters degree in Public Administration (a joint program between UWinnipeg and the University of Manitoba.) Her career goal is to work in the policy area of government related to health care and medical systems.
The Walter Leatherdale Entrance Scholarship was established by Douglas Leatherdale, a 1957 graduate of United College, in memory of his father. At $12,000 annually, it is among the most generous scholarship at The University of Winnipeg, covering tuition, books and allowances for living expenses for outstanding students from rural Manitoba, preferably from farming communities.
Janelle says she loves UWinnipeg because of the small class sizes and professors who care. Her favourite place on campus is “the nap room!” (The Bernice Blazewicz Pitcairn Learning Commons).
Logan Brennan – photo by Kelly Morton
Logan Brennan (Kinesiology) is a 4th year Athletic Therapy student and Wesmen Volleyball athlete
Logan came to the University of Winnipeg from Bragg Creek, Alberta on an athletic scholarship and manages to achieve strong grades while also playing for the Wesmen Men’s Volleyball Team.
He is the recipient of the Gord Mackie Scholarship in Athletic Therapy, established by UWinnipeg’s Athletic Therapy Student Association in honour of Gord Mackie, founding member of the Canadian Athletic Therapists Association and former Head Therapist for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. It is awarded to a 4th year student in the Athletic Therapy program.
“I am very interested in sports medicine, and I really enjoy the hands on aspect of athletic therapy,” says Logan. After he graduates he is considering medical school. His favourite campus spot is “The Duckworth Centre. I spend a lot of time there.”
Evan Podaima – staff photo
Evan Podaima (Business) will graduate this spring from the Faculty of Business and Economics with a 4 year degree focusing on Organizational Behaviour. Evan is fascinated by different leadership styles and admires Churchill, Roosevelt and Jonas Salk for their ability to motivate.
“People are an organization’s most valuable asset. Helping them achieve more is really at the frontier of how business is changing,” says Evan. “Places like Google and Apple really focus on the dynamic of teams. This interests me.”
Evan receives three prestigious awards: the Buhler Scholarship in Business and Economics; the James G. Oborne Scholarship and the Academic Proficiency Scholarship (Winnipeg Rh Institute)
What he has enjoyed most about UWinnipeg is being in a place “where all my profs know my name.” His plan is to take a year off working and likely return to university for a Masters degree in the field of Organizational Behaviour. He sees himself as a consultant one day helping to manage strategic change. His favourite place is “Wesley Hall. I like the character of older buildings.”
Alyssa Kidd – staff photo
Alyssa Kidd (Science)
Alyssa is in her 4th year studying Biology and she hopes to continue in medicine or in a Masters degree program after she graduates this spring. Her goal is to become a pediatrician. She says the best part about her UWinnipeg experience is the research opportunities she has enjoyed. Alyssa is currently assisting Dr. Danielle Defries (assistant professor, Kinesiology and Applied Health) with her study on gestational diabetes. “I spend lots of time reading slides in a lab. I love Life Sciences because of its applicability to solving real health issues,” says Alyssa.
Alyssa receives the prestigious Sir William Stephenson Scholarship. A former Wesmen volleyball player, Alyssa coaches youth volleyball, inspiring young women to maintain healthy lifestyles including physical activity. Earlier this month, she returned from Glasgow Caledonian University, Scotland, where she represented UWinnipeg as an exchange student, studying in their school of Health and Life Sciences. She likes the Duckworth Centre best “because of all its nooks and crannies”.
