Lisa Schellenberger’s (BA ’16, BEd ’16) dedication to education and community is woven into everything she does.

After graduating from Brock’s Teacher Education program, she embarked on a four-month teaching contract in Nunavut that led to eight years of teaching and growing roots in the community she now calls home.

Nunavut, quite simply, stole her heart.

“Learning about Inuit culture from my students and the community has been truly inspiring, offering invaluable insights and a deeper appreciation for their rich traditions and way of life,” she said.

Schellenberger recently received the Faculty of Education Distinguished Graduate Award as part of Brock’s 2024 Homecoming celebrations.

She credits the Teacher Education program at Brock with providing her ample room for growth as an aspiring educator and with transformative experiential learning opportunities.

Now a social studies teacher and guidance counsellor at Inuksuk High School, Schellenberger is making a difference in the lives of her students by putting her experience into practice, striving to create a learning environment that fosters meaningful connections to the world and engages students as active learners.

“Whether it takes place inside the classroom, during a school club or through international educational student trips, it is essential students play an active role in their learning. I learned the impact of this first-hand at Brock in my own education,” she said.

The impact of travel on education — and vice versa — is a cornerstone of Schellenberger’s teaching philosophy.  While studying at the University, she discovered her passion for experiencing new places during a teaching practicum in China. The experience of teaching abroad was transformative.

“My time at Brock allowed me to develop a global perspective on teaching. Travelling to China deepened my passion for travel and education, allowing me to explore how these two passions could work together to inspire students and broaden my teaching approach,” Schellenberger said.

Driven to instil a strong sense of environmental stewardship in the next generation, Schellenberger encourages her students to think critically about the complexities of society, history and culture, just as she was encouraged to think about the world at Brock.

Schellenberger recently pursued a master’s degree in environmental practice focused on mitigating eco-anxiety in rural Canadian youth and leads Inukshuk High School’s Green Club planning environmentally driven activities informed by the regional perspective of Nunavut.

Having just as big an impact outside of the classroom, Schellenberger contributes to various professional and community-oriented initiatives including the Nunavut Teachers Association.

Professor Mary-Louise Vanderlee, Dean of Education, said the Faculty of Education is honoured to recognize Schellenberger with the Distinguished Graduate Award.

“We commend her for her unwavering commitment to her students and mental health awareness, her leadership skills in community engagement and for her positive impact on everyone she encounters, in the classroom and around the world,” said Vanderlee.