VIU’s top academic students earn national medals

Vancouver Island University (VIU) graduates Elizabeth Plant and Raymond Anthony are among the top academic students in Canada.

Plant, a recent graduate of VIU’s Bachelor of Arts degree program (major in psychology) received the Governor General Academic Silver Medal while Anthony, a graduate of the Child and Youth Care in First Nations diploma program, received the bronze medal for achieving grade point averages of 9.96 and 9.53 respectively.

Plant hopes to pursue anesthesiology or psychiatry in medical school.

“Elizabeth is a remarkable student," said VIU psychology professor Dr. Elliott Marchant. "She did not receive anything lower than an A in any discipline she enrolled in. That's a huge achievement by itself, especially given the range of required pre-med courses she took and the fact that she worked part-time and ran a number of research projects in my Behavioural Neuroscience lab. Having a student like Elizabeth makes being a professor worthwhile.”

Plant, originally from Duncan, said completing her undergraduate degree was one of her proudest moments.

"It was 11 years in the making," she said. "I started with a few courses at VIU's Cowichan campus. I studied dance and science at a few other institutions, and took several breaks to figure out what I wanted to do. I didn't have the self-discipline to focus on my studies when I was younger, but coming back to school full time at VIU in the summer of 2006 was a whole different experience. As a mature student, I felt ready to do it. I had more focus and knew what I wanted."

While completing her degree, Plant worked in Dr. Melanie O’Neill’s  Fear and Anxiety lab and in Marchant’s Behavioural Neuroscience lab, gaining valuable hands-on research experience. Marchant was her supervisor for her fourth-year research project.

"Dr. Marchant was beyond generous with his time," Plant said. "He challenged me to articulate what I think and believe. He helped me develop my faith in my own ability to think. I consider him a mentor and friend. I came to appreciate more of a biological aspect of psychology, which is why I want to pursue medical school."

Asked how she managed to pull off top marks with such a heavy course load Plant said, "I'm bit of a perfectionist. I loved everything I studied. In the psychology department there was so much encouragement from faculty. Everyone is passionate about what they do. It was a great learning experience. I know the calibre of the students I went to school with, so it is a real honor to receive this award."

Anthony, also from Duncan, said receiving the Governor General’s bronze medal is a huge honor. Completing the Child and Youth Care in First Nations diploma program was a life-changing experience, he said. Anthony currently works for the Cowichan Intercultural Society as a coordinator of a community bridging program and coordinator of a community dialogue on multiculturalism and diversity.

"My final practicum placement led to this job," he said. "Our student cohort at VIU shared a lot," Anthony added. "We had elders come in every week and give teachings concerning youth, children and families. As a non-First Nations person, it was an incredible holistic learning experience to hear the ancient wisdom passed on down the generations.”

There is a long history to the academic awards. Lord Dufferin, Canada's third Governor General after Confederation, created the awards in 1873 to encourage academic excellence across the nation. Over the years, they have become  the most prestigious award students in Canadian schools can receive.