Student Awards Recipient Report 2011/2012 STUDENT AWARDS RECIPIENT REPORT 28 President’s Message President’s Message Page 1 Student Award Recipient Profiles Page 2-7 Scholarships, Awards Thank you for supporting and Bursaries Western’s students Page 8-24 Your gift to create a student award means that more deserving young men and women are living the Western Experience. They are learning from the Athletic Scholarships, extraordinary teaching and research of our dedicated faculty, and developing Awards and Bursaries the leadership skills they need to become thoughtful citizens. Page 25 During the 2011/12 academic year, your support helped reach more than 4,100 graduate and undergraduate students at Western, providing them with $10.4 million in donor-funded scholarships, awards and bursaries. As this report illustrates, Western is creating opportunities for our students to become global leaders. From overseas study programs to international athletic competitions, Western’s students are making their mark. We are committed to offering more global opportunities for our students, by ensuring that 10 per cent of our students receive an overseas learning experience, while growing our international student body to 10 per cent Alumni Relations & of the Western population. Our goal is to make sure that the best and Development brightest students from Canada and around the world enter our doors Westminster Hall for an extraordinary learning experience. 361 Windermere Road Western University In the coming months, you will learn more about how we plan to achieve London, Ontario N6A 3K7 our goals, by tripling the number of available undergraduate student scholarships and providing more than 2,000 graduate student awards. 519.661.2199 or 1.800.258.6896 I sincerely thank you for creating and supporting student awards at Western. Your gift provides students with the determination, confidence givingtowestern.uwo.ca and encouragement to pursue their passions – both inside the classroom and around the globe. Amit Chakma President & Vice-Chancellor 1 STUDENT AWARDS RECIPIENT REPORT Student Award Recipient TREVOR BIEBER PhD’14 Trevor Bieber is congratulated by Mrs. Anne McKenzie. With her husband, she endowed an award through Foundation Western. Delving into ethical questions Graduate student finds philosophical answers in rare books Trevor Bieber loves rare books, but that’s what makes his OGS Roughriders fan), Trevor moved to particularly from the 18th and 19th funding more significant. “Often, the London a decade ago. He completed centuries. value produced by historians, artists, his undergraduate philosophy degree musicians, writers and philosophers at Western in 2004, and then he For Trevor, these books are invaluable cannot be directly converted into worked at men’s missions and explored to his academic research. But aquiring monetary value,” he says. “Nonetheless, Roman Catholic ministry. Trevor also these rare tomes can be pricey. their work contributes to the well-being worked in the financial and retail That’s why Trevor, a PhD student in of society.” sectors, lived in Ireland for nearly a year philosophy, is a grateful recipient of (where he developed a penchant for the William A. McKenzie, Ontario “Many of the books stout beer and rugby), and travelled to Graduate Scholarship (OGS), held at France, Italy, Greece and Switzerland. Foundation Western. necessary for my Recently, he had the unique “Many of the books necessary for research have to opportunity to thank his scholarship my research have to be shipped from be shipped from donor, Mrs. Anne McKenzie, in person. England, adding costs to my research,” “The McKenzie’s donation has helped he says. “This scholarship has allowed England, adding contribute to one of my most rewarding me to gain access to books that are key years of graduate studies so far,” says to my studies.” costs to my research. Trevor, who plans to graduate in 2014. This scholarship Trevor comes to philosophy with This fall will see him venturing into the great curiosity. “I’ve always been has allowed me to classroom to teach ethics. “I find it interested in exploring the big easier to get students to question the unanswered questions, and the idea gain access to books values they already have,” he adds, “and of how we can use reason and logic that are key to my then help them connect those values to as a way of describing our experiences,” decisions they make everyday.” he says. “What defines a truth or belief studies.” –and why?” Trevor’s life, however, hasn’t always Admittedly, his work isn’t exactly “top been immersed in philosophy. of mind” thinking for most people, After growing up in Saskatoon (as a STUDENT AWARDS RECIPIENT REPORT 2 Student Award Recipient JOSHUA ZYSS BHSc’13 Joshua Zyss (right) met Mr. Ed Holder, who, along with his wife Judite, endowed a gift at Foundation Western in memory of their son. Feeding the future of the forgotten Award recipient provides Filipino children with hope for a better life Ask Joshua Zyss about his “home and receive two meals every day, plus hands-on help,” he says. “Since going away from home,” and he may surprise medical care. there three years ago, I’ve learned more you. He won’t talk about Toronto, his about life than any class or textbook birthplace. Nor London, his academic This charitable work makes Joshua a could ever teach me.” home. But he will talk about the fitting recipient of the Bruno DaSilva Philippines. Community Service Award, held at This passion for learning keeps him Foundation Western. Established by focused on the future. After graduating Every summer since 2009, Joshua Judite and Ed Holder (pictured above) from Western in 2013, Joshua plans has worked with 20 homeless Filipino in memory of their son, the $4,000 to attend medical school and to children, whom he describes as “my scholarship is presented to a third- or eventually work with Doctors Without kids.” Through a charity he established fourth-year student who “possesses Borders, while also continuing with his with his partner, Blair Smart, called leadership qualities as evidenced by commitment to feed, house, clothe and Feeding a Future (www.feedingafuture. strong community service.” educate his “kids” until they graduate org), he provides them with food, from college. clothing and education. “I cannot change “I cannot change the world on my own His involvement in the Philippines the world on my or make a huge difference,” he says, began during a 2009 medical mission. “but I can change the life of one child at While there, he witnessed children own or make a huge a time.” scavenging recyclable bottles and cans difference, but I can at a dumpsite, which they would use to buy a bowl of rice. change the life of one “Here, a child’s dream would be to go child at a time.” to school and eat something once a Receiving the award has afforded day, but they couldn’t because they Joshua the opportunity to make a needed to make money to survive,” bigger difference. “During the year, I’ve says Joshua, who is pursuing a double been able to focus on raising funds to major in medical science and biology help my kids, and then in the summers at Western. Now, thanks to Feeding to go to the Philippines to provide a Future, the children attend school 3 STUDENT AWARDS RECIPIENT REPORT Student Award Recipient ALI MILLINGTON BA’13 Thanks to a fellowship, Ali Millington learned valuable lessons while studying for six months in the Netherlands. Telling the world story Future journalist benefits from scholarship to study overseas Earlier this year, Ali Millington stood in While defraying some of the costs of fortunate enough to meet people from front of the Greek parliament buildings, living abroad, the scholarship also all over the world who were keen to as hundreds of citizens rallied during provided many learning opportunities share stories with me about their lives the country’s financial crisis. for Ali, which would have been out of and cultures,” says Ali. the question if not for the scholarship “Being there, in the midst of the protest, funding. “Through my studies, I’ve been Her European studies offered a made me even more passionate about learning to think critically,” she says. great training ground to continue telling stories of people from around the “While it’s important to be critical to an as a volunteer news journalist for world,” says the budding journalist and extent, it’s also important to be open- Western’s radio station, where she’ll student at Western’s Media, Information minded, which is one quality I’ve gained be interviewing people and presenting and Technoculture (MIT) program. while being on the exchange.” stories on air. Ali also plans to “talk up” her international studies, by “One of the most important aspects of volunteering with the international a good journalist, or anyone involved in “One of the most office to promote overseas study media, is neutrality – and this comes important aspects opportunities for Western students. from having an open-minded view of the world,” she adds. of a good journalist, As she heads into her final year of the MIT program, Ali is gearing up Ali experienced a broader view of or anyone involved in for a changing future. “Our world is the world, thanks to a six-month media, is neutrality increasingly revolving around media, study term at Erasmus University in especially social media,” she says. “I Rotterdam, Netherlands. Her overseas – and this comes feel that what I’ve gained from my time studies were partially funded by the from having an open- at Western and overseas has given me William C. Heine International Study what I need to focus on international Fellowship, endowed at Foundation minded view of the journalism.” Western.