|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
HeadlinesContinuing Education Offers Two Writing Courses this Fall Trent Gets Ready to Shine at Shinerama Five Trent Profs in Running for TVO's Best Lecturer Competition Continuing Education's New Fall Line-Up Trent Professor Awarded Ireland Canada University Foundation Scholarship Trent to Host 2008 International Association for Great Lakes Research Conference Enter the Second Annual Trent Literary Short Fiction Writing Contest Trent Prof Elected to Royal Society of Canada's Academy of Arts and Humanities Trent Prof Delivers Keynote Address at International Conference Maclean's Graduate Survey Issue -- Q & A Document Consultant's Report on Facilities Renewal Submitted Trent University Celebrated Largest Graduating Class at Convocation Ceremonies June 1 and June 2 Exceptional Residence Experiences on One of the Most Breathtaking Campuses in Canada Features |
|
The Medal Winners |
||
Commonwealth Scholarship Winner Set to Pursue the Political at Oxford Symons Medal winner Geoffrey Cameron has been thinking about pursuing graduate studies since his second year at Trent, thanks, in large part, to the support and encouragement of his professors. Now with his undergraduate degree in International Development Studies (IDS) complete, Mr. Cameron is about to make his dream a reality as he prepares to start a Master's degree in Politics this fall at the University of Oxford. The idea of continuing his studies at Oxford came to Mr. Cameron last summer when he visited the world-renowned campus while en route to beginning a summer position with the Peace Education Program at the International School in the Czech Republic. After seeing the campus and learning of Oxford's reputation for political studies, he was determined that this was where he would end up after his four years at Trent were complete. In March, Mr. Cameron's goal to study at Oxford received a significant boost when he was announced as a recipient of the prestigious Commonwealth Scholarship. The Commonwealth Scholarship Plan is designed to enable students of high intellectual promise to pursue studies in Commonwealth countries other than their own. As a recipient, Mr. Cameron's tuition and examination fees will be covered; he will also receive a personal maintenance allowance and will have some travel expenses covered. "I am really hoping to build on the experiences I have gained here at Trent," said Mr. Cameron when asked what he was going to take with him from his time at Trent. "I have been part of a community that is intensely interested and committed to the world; I want that feeling to continue." As Mr. Cameron prepares to embark on this new chapter of his life, he leaves behind quite a legacy at Trent. During the last four years, he has played a major role in creating and cultivating many new initiatives, including Undercurrent: the Canadian Undergraduate Journal of Development Studies, of which he was editor-in-chief, and the Association for Baha'i Studies, which Mr. Cameron co-founded, and has grown from three students to more than a dozen. In addition to his academic activities, he also participated in intramural indoor soccer, an experience he described as "a chance to step outside everything else and just play some sports." Mr. Cameron is also an unofficial recruiter for the University, after spending three days lobbying his cousin, who grew up in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to attend Trent. As a student who "came to Trent concerned about my place in the world," Mr. Cameron graduates as a student who knows exactly where he belongs. And as he moves on to pursue a new educational direction, Mr. Cameron will hold a special place in his memory for Trent, a place he describes as "not just a school; it is a community sensitive to and concerned with the world around it… the experience here is something that goes beyond the classroom." A Second to None Experience Receiving the Governor General's Silver Medal was an "honour" for International student Tam Nhan Quy. For this Honours B.Sc. graduate, the medal represents the reward for all of her effort and hard work over the past four years at Trent. Hailing from Vietnam, Ms. Quy came to Trent as part of the Trent International Program (TIP), a program she describes as "second to none." After learning of the TIP, she made the University her first choice and, thanks to the full scholarship she received, she was able to come to Trent and study without any financial burden. During her four years here, Ms. Quy has been actively involved in a number of groups and organizations, including the Trent International Students Association, the Trent South East Asia Organization, and the Trent Physics Club, of which she was Vice-President in her final year. In addition, she has given back to the Peterborough community by volunteering at Peterborough Manor. In the summers, she has worked as a research assistant, first with Professor Dave Patton at Trent, and then in 2004, after being awarded the TRIUMF Summer Research Scholarship, with the Neutral Atom Trap research team at Canada's National Laboratory for Nuclear and Particle Physics in Vancouver. Looking back at her time at Trent, Ms. Quy realizes that she felt entirely at home here almost from day one, thanks, in large part, to Trent's large international student body. In fact, her experience here has been so positive, that she would recommend it to any international student: "You will never feel lonely or out of sync at Trent. There is always a student group with similar interests or heritage background. Thus, do not be afraid and get out there and be involved, academically and socially." In the fall, Ms. Quy will begin a Master's program at Queen's University studying and researching nanotechnology and ultrafast lasers. Exploring the Familiar A daughter of Trent graduates, Symons Medal winner Emily Maddocks chose Trent University because it "seemed like a familiar place, one where I thought I would be comfortable." Since arriving four years ago, Ms. Maddocks has definitely taken advantage of that familiar feeling and has made herself quite at home here, becoming involved in many activities and excelling in her academics. In her first years at Trent, she was a Pen Pal to a Grade One student, she played on intramural soccer teams, and she volunteered with WalkHome. In her third year, she took advantage of the Trent International Program's Year Abroad Program and studied at Western Washington University in Washington State. During her time in the States, she had the opportunity to work as a teaching assistant in a Canadian-American Studies course and extensively tour and travel around the Pacific Northwest region. Based on her positive experiences studying outside of Canada, Ms. Maddocks became a TIP ambassador in her fourth year, helping to welcome international and exchange students to Trent. Asked what she will miss most about Trent, Ms. Maddocks replied, "I will miss the places that became familiar and the people that became family. That favourite restaurant, the comfy chair in the library, the perfect roommate." Ms. Maddocks graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Canadian Studies. In the fall, she begins a two-year Master of Arts program in Public Policy and Administration at Carleton University in Ottawa. Expanding Horizons Symons Medal winner Michelle Bissonnette initially made the decision to come to Trent based on rave reviews from friends and family members. Now, having spent four years here herself, she has become another Trent University supporter. In fact, Ms. Bissonnette has had so many positive experiences here that she has decided to return in the fall as a graduate student to pursue a Master's degree in bioarchaeology. "The time I have spent at Trent University has been incredible and very rewarding," she said. "I feel that my experiences at Trent over the past four years have really helped me to grow intellectually, but also, on a more personal level, have helped shape me into a motivated and confident individual." While completing her Honours Bachelor of Science degree in Anthropology, Ms. Bissonnette was sure to experience all that Trent had to offer – from serving as a member of the Anthropology Society and the German Stammtisch, to trying her hand at fencing, she has explored it all. Perhaps the most rewarding and memorable experience Ms. Bissonnette gained at Trent, however, came with her participation in Trent's Belize Field School during the summer following her second year. In describing her experience working at the Maya site of the Minanha', Ms. Bissonnette said, "I had so much fun and learned a great deal during my time in Belize, and I am so grateful that Trent offered this opportunity to expand my studies outside of the classroom and gain real, hands-on experience." Overall, it is the people that Ms. Bissonnette credits with making her time at Trent truly remarkable. From friends and fellow classmates to the professors who have always been supportive, she says she wouldn't have been as successful without them. "They have all made my years at Trent an amazing time in my life…they really make Trent University the wonderful place that it is." A Complete List of 2006 Student Medal Winners The Governor General's Medals reward scholastic merit. The Silver Medal is awarded to the Honours student with the highest academic standing on graduation in the Bachelor's degree program. The Gold Medal is awarded to the student with the highest academic standing on graduation in the Master's and Doctoral degree programs. Gold Medal awarded to: Susan Marie Hill The Symons Medal is awarded to students in the Honours program who achieve high overall standing on graduation. Awarded to: Michelle Bissonnette, Geoffrey Cameron, Katarina Karlsson, and Emily Maddocks The Bagnani Medal is awarded to students in the General program who achieve high overall standing on graduation. Awarded to: Arlene Hodder and Shannon Walker Posted June 19, 2006
|
||
Return to Trent
University Home |
||
 |
|
|
