June 16, 2010 - 7:47am
"She'll accomplish amazing things wherever she goes."
That’s how Vancouver Island University professor Mark Blackell describes one of his star students, 22-year-old Laura Buzzard, recipient of this year’s Governor General’s Silver Medal.
The medal is awarded to an undergraduate student who achieves the highest academic standing from a full-time Bachelor Degree program. Buzzard graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, Major in Liberal Studies and Minor in Women’s Studies, in June with a grade point average of 9.79 out of 10.
"Laura is one of those bright minds who approaches her studies with a wonderful combination of genuine openness, creativity and analytical rigor," said Blackell, chair of VIU’s Liberal Studies Department.
"She was a wonderful person to have in class as she facilitated discussion and consistently brought out really important ideas from whatever we were reading. The humility she demonstrates in her disposition is part of her thoughtful and careful orientation to the world."
Buzzard, a graduate of Wellington Secondary School, turned down a full ride scholarship offered by a big city university in favour of attending VIU.
"My decision (to attend VIU) was about more than small class sizes," said Buzzard. “I knew from attending Philosopher Café events in the community that VIU professors are caring, intelligent people who nurture students’ individual ideas and ability to think critically and communicate ideas.”
Her father, Gord Buzzard, an instructor in VIU’s Adult Basic Education department, said “Obviously I’m a proud father, but as a faculty member, I see real value in our community connections through events like the Philosophers’ Café. These connections attract many potential students, including my daughter.
“I believe Laura chose VIU because of the quality of instruction, connection between faculty, students and the community, and her belief VIU could provide the environment to support her growth.”
Laura agrees. Highlights of her undergraduate experience include a one-month Liberal Studies abroad program to Florence, Italy, and completing a year-long directed studies research paper on Heidegger and female medieval mystics.
Her paper won a Liberal Studies departmental award and the David Thomas Scholarship for best research paper in Social Sciences at VIU. She refined the paper and applied - and was accepted - to present at the Medieval and Renaissance conference at the University of Virginia. She also presented another paper at the University of BC children’s literature graduate student conference last spring.
Buzzard was recently hired by Canadian book publisher Broadview Press as assistant to the president. She plans to work for at least a year before pursuing a Master’s degree.
Buzzard’s mother, Sharon Styve, manager in VIU’s Centre for Continuing Studies, also nurtured her daughter’s life-long love of learning. “She’s always been curious and keen,” said Styve. “Right from an early age, Laura loved museums, art galleries, books, and music – and still does.
“She and I went to the VIU Philosophers Café events from the time they first began when she was in high school. I think that experience contributed to her developing interest in the humanities and philosophy. She has a remarkable ability to connect diverse ideas, and to see the relationships between things. The Liberal Studies program at VIU was a perfect fit for her. I don’t think there is any program or institution anywhere that would have given her a better educational experience.”
Although Buzzard has graduated, she won’t soon forget VIU. “I established life-long relationships with students and faculty,” she said. “I enjoyed every minute spent in professors’ offices one-on-one talking intellectually about the ideas and thoughts of great thinkers and philosophers of the world.”
Editor’s note: Applications are currently being accepted for VIU Liberal Studies courses beginning September 2010. Liberal Studies is the study of influential works and ideas across the Western cultural tradition, from ancient to modern times. In small seminars, students are actively engaged in analysis, interpretation and criticism. Courses are offered in Nanaimo, Parksville, Courtenay and Europe. For more information, visit www.viu.ca/liberalstudies
Tags: In the Community
