Student receives Governor General’s Academic Silver Medal

Theresa Deering of Nanaimo has reason to be proud.

She’s the top graduating student from Vancouver Island University (formerly Malaspina University-College) and has a medal to prove it.

Deering received the Governor General’s Academic Silver Medal for outstanding scholastic achievement at the spring convocation ceremony held in Nanaimo Tuesday, June 3. The medal is awarded to the Bachelor’s degree graduate with the highest grade-point average attained in a full-time program of study. 

Deering, born and raised in Nanaimo, achieved a grade-point average of 9.73 while completing a Bachelor of Science degree, with a major in computing science. She also received a $17,500 Canada Graduate Scholarship from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and a $5,500 entrance scholarship to McGill University in Montreal where she plans to pursue a Masters degree in computing science.

“Winning the Governor’s General’s medal is pretty exciting,” said Deering. “I’m thrilled.”

For more than 130 years, the Governor General’s academic medals have recognized the outstanding scholastic achievements of students in Canadian high schools, colleges, and universities.  Medals and personalized certificates are presented on behalf of the Governor General.  Over the years, they have become the most prestigious award that students in Canadian schools can receive.

This is not the first time Deering has been rewarded for top marks. When she graduated from Nanaimo’s Wellington Secondary School in 2004, she won the Governor General’s Academic Bronze Medal for outstanding academic achievement, a renewable scholarship from IBM, and an entrance scholarship to Malaspina.

“I came straight to Malaspina after high school,” she said. “I had not yet decided what I wanted to do, so I continued living at home and attended school in my home town. I planned to transfer after my second year, but couldn’t bring myself to do it. I liked Malaspina so much. Classes were small and I really liked my classmates and teachers. I’m glad I stayed.”

After her third year at Malaspina, Deering completed a co-operative education work term at the Pacific Biological Station in Nanaimo where she worked on a fish population simulation with scientists Alan Sinclair and John Schute.