July 5, 2006 - 5:00pm
Three Malaspina University-College grads did more than get good grades while in school – they were at the top of all their classes.
Owen Stechishin, Kaleena Young and Judy Gibson did so well they’ve been recognized by the Government of Canada and the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Province of British Columbia with academic medals.
Last month Malaspina University-College Board of Governors vice chair Robin Kenyon and Malaspina President and CEO Rich Johnston proudly presented two Governor General’s Academic Medals and one Lieutenant Governor’s Silver Medal to the happy recipients during a regular board meeting.
Stechishin was awarded the silver Governor General’s Academic Medal for his Grade Point Average (GPA) of 9.95 out of a possible 10. Stechishin graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree with a Major in Biology at the June Convocation ceremonies.
“I am very happy and grateful to receive such a prestigious award,” said Stechishin.
“Maintaining my GPA was really a matter of maintaining my focus and dedication in order to achieve the best marks that I could on assignments and exams. The fact that I greatly enjoyed my classes made attending university much more of a pleasure than a chore.”
This fall Stechishin will be starting his PhD in neuroscience at the Hotchkiss Brain Institute at the University of Calgary. His research thesis will be on glioblastoma, a highly invasive and aggressive type of brain cancer.
Young received the bronze Governor General’s Academic Medal for a GPA of 9.27. She graduated with a two-year Criminology Diploma this spring.
“I was quite surprised,” said Young of finding out about her award. “I felt that there must have been someone else out there who deserved it more than I do. I guess that I never realized the significance of earning high grades.”
Young’s secret to success is starting early on assignments and for exams she reviews until “there’s nothing left to cover”.
“I recommend working at your own pace, starting early and taking breaks,” said Young.
Young will be taking the next year off to work before returning to Malaspina to take the Criminology degree program in 2007.
The final medal, the Lieutenant Governor’s Silver Medal, went to Gibson for a GPA of 9.86, which she maintained during her 10-month Applied Business Technology Program.
“I feel very honoured,” said Gibson. “It’s nice to be recognized for hard work.”
Gibson, a mother of two active teenagers, returned to school as a mature student after a lengthy time away from the workforce.
“The instructors were very encouraging and welcoming so age was not an issue,” said Gibson. “I just settled in and started working. When I take on a task, I immerse myself in it and work hard to make a success of it.”
Gibson graduated in February of this year.
The Governor General’s Academic Medals were created in 1873 by Lord Dufferin, Canada’s third Governor General after Confederation. Since then more than 50,000 Canadians have received the award which is given out to students graduating with the highest GPA in high schools, colleges and university programs.
The Lieutenant Governor’s Silver Medal is awarded to students who have achieved a high GPA and provided a positive contribution to the life of the institution and the community while enrolled full-time in a vocational or career program of less than two years duration.
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