Media releases

• Brock scholarships help support 59 Niagara high school grads

  Monday, June 15, 2020 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: 15 June 2020 – R0100

  For the sixth-consecutive year, Brock University celebrated 59 local students and future leaders by awarding the Niagara Principal’s Scholarships to two students from nearly every public, Catholic and private secondary school in the region.

  The annual scholarships are given to students who demonstrate outstanding academic achievement and commitment to school and community. Each post-secondary principal may nominate up to five candidates, of which two are selected annually. The value of each award is $2,500. Since its inception, more than $830,000 in Niagara Principal’s Scholarship funding has been offered by Brock.

  “Brock University is proud to continue the longstanding commitment to supporting and recognizing student excellence,” says Brock President Gervan Fearon. “Since the Niagara Principal’s Scholarship was launched in 2015, we have celebrated the success of students across the Niagara region who have chosen to pursue their post-secondary education at Brock.

  “We are excited to see the variety of ways these students will contribute to the local community and the University. At Brock, we know we are a part of nurturing and fostering the future leaders of our region, country and world, and students receiving these scholarships are a big part of it, too.”

  While the annual cohort of recipients are traditionally celebrated during a ceremony in the spring, the Campus Initiatives team in the Registrar’s Office got creative this year as physical distancing measures are in place due to COVID-19.

  “This year’s recipients were recognized for their achievements by receiving a package in the mail that had their award and Brock swag in it,” says Recruitment Officer, Campus Initiatives Carly Dugo. “Later this summer, each recipient, along with their families and high school representatives, will be invited to a virtual awards recognition event to celebrate their achievements and meet other leaders from the Brock community.”

  Despite necessary changes being made to the format in which recipients are recognized, Geraldine Jones, University Registrar and Associate Vice-President, Enrolment Services, says this doesn’t mean the celebrations are any less exciting.

  “While it may have taken a different form this year, I am proud and excited that we were able to continue the tradition of celebrating the success of high achieving Niagara students who have chosen to study at Brock in the fall,” says Jones.

  The 2020-21 cohort of Niagara Principal’s Scholarships recipients include:

  Shreeya Patel, A.N. Myer Secondary School

  Mayah Cousens, A.N. Myer Secondary School

  Isabella Saranchuk, Beamsville District Secondary School

  Gracie Groulx, Beamsville District Secondary School

  Madison O’Brien, Blessed Trinity Catholic School

  Alana Sawatsky, Blessed Trinity Catholic School

  Amy Battista, Denis Morris Catholic School

  Ola Hamid, Denis Morris Catholic School

  Devon Fiander, DSBN Academy

  Tajrian Hossain, DSBN Academy

  Grace Teal, E.L. Crossley

  William Guitard, E.L. Crossley

  Lauren Gauthier, Eastdale Secondary School

  Kaitlin Ives, Eastdale Secondary School

  Chyenne Neath, École Secondaire Catholique Jean Vanier
  Ian Lamothe, École Secondaire Catholique Jean Vanier

  Aaron Friesen, Eden High School

  Meghan Busca, Eden High School

  Alex Reynen, Governor Simcoe Secondary School

  Arlinda Veseli, Governor Simcoe Secondary School

  Ethan Dobrenski, Great Lakes Christian School

  Arica Oliver, Greater Fort Erie Secondary School

  Morgan Robinson, Greater Fort Erie Secondary School

  Emma Bergen, Grimsby Secondary School

  Hayden Miller, Grimsby Secondary School

  Ara Antonides, Heritage Christian School

  Hendrick Brasz, Heritage Christian School

  Anna Tolkacz, Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School

  Kaitlyn Wiebe, Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School

  Samuel Beifuss, Lakeshore Catholic High School

  Emily Caldwell, Lakeshore Catholic High School

  Megan Clemmensen, Laura Secord Secondary School

  Andrew Yap, Laura Secord Secondary School

  Anthony Colosimo, Notre Dame College School

  Brooke Atamanyk, Notre Dame College School

  Riley Simpson, Port Colborne High School

  Kaitlyn Chambers, Port Colborne High School

  Mona Shivafard, Ridley College

  Mario Alejandro Vera Esparza, Ridley College

  Cole Carpenter, Saint Francis Catholic Secondary School

  Rachel Bufalino, Saint Francis Catholic Secondary School

  Anna Khutornaya, Saint Michael Catholic High School

  Michael Mohammed, Saint Michael Catholic High School

  Grant Booth, Saint Paul Catholic High School

  Karen Hanna, Saint Paul Catholic High School

  Gage Mitchener, Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School

  Griffen Mason, Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School

  Hope Amos, Smithville Christian High School

  Rachael DeMask, Smithville Christian High School

  Manikham (Marianne) Vongboutdy, St. Catharines Collegiate

  Carissa Marcantonio, St. Catharines Collegiate

  Jenna Wiegand, Stamford Collegiate

  Brooke Bernier, Stamford Collegiate

  Rebecca Mosimann, Thorold Secondary School

  Brooklyn Brown, Thorold Secondary School

  Gabryelle Corriveau, Welland Centennial Secondary School

  Rielly Jinks, Welland Centennial Secondary School

  Maeve Martin, Westlane Secondary School

  Dordaneh Mirbabaei Ghafghazi, Westlane Secondary School

   

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  * Dan Dakin, Manager Communications and Media Relations, Brock University ddakin@brocku.ca, 905-347-1970

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  Categories: Media releases

• Paul Martin to address students as part of Brock’s Virtual Spring Convocation

  Wednesday, June 10, 2020 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: 9 June 2020 – R0099

  The doors will soon open on Brock University’s first-ever Virtual Convocation.

  When nearly 3,000 students visit their personalized Spring Convocation experience starting Friday, June 19, one of the special guests they’ll hear from is former Prime Minister of Canada, the Right Honourable Paul Martin.

  Martin, who served as Prime Minister from 2003 to 2006, is one of five people receiving Honorary Doctorates from Brock during its 107th Convocation.

  “It means a lot to me. Brock is an outstanding educational institution and demonstrates this in the quality of its teaching. It also doesn’t hesitate to rise to society’s other needs,” said Martin, who in 2008 founded the Martin Family Initiative, a charitable organization committed to improving education, health and the overall well-being of Indigenous children and youth in Canada.

  Along with videos from Brock President Gervan Fearon, Chancellor Shirley Cheechoo and others, the Virtual Convocation portal will include a keynote address from Martin, who said he’s as disappointed as the students that the celebratory day can’t happen in person.

  “Graduation day is a great day for the graduands and I’m sure they’d all like to be with their friends and family on campus,” he said. “I would have preferred that too, but what’s important is that they’re getting their degrees and the Virtual Convocation ensures that. It also allows them to leave the room for a glass of water while the recipient of an honorary degree delivers his sometimes too long speech.”

  Joining Martin as recipients of honorary doctorates this time around are:

  • Gary Kobinger, former Canadian Scientist of the Year recognized for his development of an Ebola virus treatment
  • Peggy Nash, a former NDP Member of Parliament and long-time advocate for labour, human rights, gender equality and democratic engagement
  • Alice Rueda, an electrical engineer who developed the first commercial fixed broadband wireless access system and is researching high-tech solutions to Parkinson’s disease symptoms
  • Debbie Zimmerman, CEO of the Grape Growers of Ontario, who served as the first and only female chair of Niagara’s regional government

  Rather than a single livestreamed event, Virtual Convocation is an online portal for graduating students that is personalized based on their Faculty and degree type. Although the portal will launch on June 19, graduands and their friends and families will be able to enjoy their Convocation experience whenever they choose. While the portal will include the official conferring of their degrees by Cheechoo, it won’t replace an in-person celebration, which will be planned in the future when it’s safe to do so.

  And although they won’t receive their physical degree parchments on the traditional Convocation stage, shortly after Virtual Convocation graduands will receive  a ‘Convocation in a Box,’ that will include their parchment, a Convocation program, an alumni pin, Surgite magazine, a bag of Class of 2020 confetti and other letters and information.

  The Brock Campus Store, which plays a significant role in traditional Convocation events — framing thousands of degrees and offering Brock gear to graduands and their families — is also offering their services online with a special section of its online store. New this year are popular ‘Home of a Brock grad’ lawn signs, which have been popping up around the region and beyond.

   

  Brock Virtual Spring Convocation 2020:

  7 … Faculties represented

  2,490 … Undergraduate students convocating

  412 … Graduate students convocating

  88 … Brock Badgers student-athletes convocating

  5 … Honorary Doctorates being awarded

   

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews: 

  * Dan Dakin, Manager Communications and Media Relations, Brock University ddakin@brocku.ca or 905-347-1970

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  Categories: Media releases