Published by Communications and Public Affairs (519) 824-4120, Ext. 56982 or 53338
News Release
September 25, 2002
U of G names top scholarship winners
The University of Guelph has awarded its first Lincoln Alexander Chancellor’s Scholarships to two entering students and its prestigious President’s Scholarships to 12. Both scholarships are valued at more than $20,000 over eight semesters.
The Lincoln Alexander Chancellor’s Scholarships are named in honour of U of G chancellor and former Ontario lieutenant-governor Lincoln Alexander on his 80th birthday. They are awarded to academically distinguished entering students who are aboriginal, have a disability or are members of a racial minority, and who have made significant contributions to their schools and communities and demonstrated the potential to become leaders in society.
The President’s Scholarship recognizes academic accomplishments and contributions to school and community. Several hundred students apply for the scholarship each year. Winners are chosen for overall excellence, including academics, community involvement and endorsements from teachers, principals, coaches and others. President’s Scholarships have been awarded to 188 students since 1987.
This year’s Chancellor’s Scholarship recipients are:
Renu Abraham of Hamilton, Ont., is a graduate of Sir Allan MacNab Secondary School, where she was an active member of the Student Council for three years, chaired the charity and fundraising committees and was president of the multicultural committee. In the community, she was a volunteer at St. Joseph’s Hospital in the geriatric and continuing-care ward, a youth group leader in her church and a camp counsellor. Abraham is majoring in biomedical sciences at the University of Guelph.
Amrita Roy is a graduate of Lester B. Pearson High School in Burlington, Ont., where she founded the Pearson Multicultural Society, which worked to promote an atmosphere of informed acceptance and educated debate on issues such as racism, child labour and human rights. Roy’s extracurricular leadership, in combination with academic achievement, earned her the Award of Student Excellence from the Halton District School Board. She is majoring in biomedical sciences at Guelph and hopes to become a doctor.
This year’s President Scholarship winners are:
Andrew Baker is a graduate of Unionville High School in Unionville, Ont., where he successfully completed the Arts York Music Program and performed in the jazz band, wind ensemble and choir. Baker is also the recipient of many science, computer science and mathematics awards, including a Science Olympics Silver Medal and placement in the top 25 per cent at the Canadian Open Math Competition. He is studying computing science at the University of Guelph.
Angela Catford is a graduate of Cardinal Carter Catholic High School in Aurora, Ont., where she was a volunteer tutor and a chaplaincy retreat leader and raised money for a variety of community charities. She was awarded a University of Toronto Book Award for leadership, community involvement and academic excellence and a 2002 Lieutenant-Governor’s Award for outstanding community service and participation. Catford also swam for the Newmarket Stingrays Club for seven years, becoming one of the top performers and record holders. She is currently enrolled in the biological engineering program at Guelph.
Collin Cureatz of Port Hope, Ont., is a graduate of Trinity College School, where he excelled in science and mathematics. He also competed in soccer, golf, skiing, running and hockey, sang for the chapel’s choir, was the lead in the musical HMS Pinafore, played guitar and was head prefect. Outside of school, he completed his Grade 8 in piano from the Royal Conservatory of Music, was a volunteer with Big Brothers and spent two weeks in Jamaica volunteering in rural schools and orphanages. Cureatz is pursuing a science degree in applied pharmaceutical chemistry at the University of Guelph.
Katharine Found is a graduate of Courtice Secondary School in Courtice, Ont., where she was the rugby team captain, a peer helper and a lunch buddy to new students. In her community, she was an active member of the Durham East 4-H program, presided over a chapter of Junior Farmers and worked part time as a veterinary assistant with Port Perry Veterinary Services and the Brooklin Veterinary Hospital. Found is studying animal biology at Guelph and hopes to become a veterinarian.
Margaret Gemmill is a graduate of Kingston Collegiate and Vocational Institute in Kingston, Ont., where she participated in the Outdoor Education Program canoe trips, was co-captain of the rowing team, edited the yearbook and played the flute. She was also a singer with the Cantabile Girls’ Choir of Kingston, volunteered with St. Mary’s of the Lake Hospital and the local Boys’ and Girls’ Club, and coached rowing at Queen’s University. Enrolled in biological engineering at the University of Guelph, Gemmill hopes to be a pediatrician one day.
Corey Hewitt is a graduate of Fellowes High School in Pembroke, Ont., where he competed on the cross-country running, basketball, volleyball and kayaking teams, was a member of Ontario Students Against Impaired Driving, was a photographer and writer for the student newspaper, and sang and acted in the musical production of West Side Story. Hewitt is studying biomedical engineering at Guelph and hopes to pursue a career in medicine, chiropractic, medical prosthetics or ergonomics.
Ulla Laidlaw was the top graduating student at Leaside High School in Toronto, Ont. In addition to excelling in school, she starred in the school’s staging of Neil Simon’s Rumours, presided over the school’s peer tutoring program and Rotary Club, played saxophone and piano in various school bands, and helped to organize a charity week. Outside of school, Laidlaw was a volunteer and member of Historic Toronto’s dance group, helped raise funds for the Humane Society, Sunnybrook Hospital and Sick Children’s Hospital, and was a volunteer with the Frontier College Reading program. She is studying drama and physics at Guelph.
Lisa Liu is a graduate of Earl Haig Secondary School in Richmond Hill, Ont., where she was a yearbook and student newspaper section editor, co-ordinator of the school’s newsletter and pianist in the jazz orchestra. Liu also created the school’s first arts and literary magazine, Kaleidoscope, a publication whose launch took two years and involved assembling a team of more than 100 students. She is studying landscape architecture at the University of Guelph.
Meredith McNulty of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, is a graduate of Dartmouth High School, where she was on the girls’ rugby team and the yearbook committee, played trombone with various bands, wrote for the student newspaper and was a member of Model Parliament. In the community, she won a spot on the 2001 Nova Scotia Canada Games Women’s Rowing Team, was a senior dancer with the Dartmouth Dance Academy, taught creative movement and ballet classes to young children and was a volunteer rowing coach with the Mic Mac Rowing Club. She is a classical languages major at the University of Guelph.
Kimberly Ong of Nepean, Ont., graduated from Merivale High School. As co-president of the Merivale High School student council, she was instrumental in establishing STAMP (Standing Together Against the Mistreatment of People) to eradicate escalating violence at the school. She also competed for the badminton, track-and-field and ice hockey teams, captained the volleyball team, was a peer helper and tutored an autistic student. In the community, Ong volunteered with the Queensway-Carleton Hospital, the World Wildlife Foundation, the Rotary Club, the Ottawa Arts Committee and the National Capital Marathon. She enjoys Chinese and ballroom dancing, playing the piano and acting. Ong is enrolled in the marine biology program at Guelph.
Jeffrey Ramkellawan is a graduate of Wexford Collegiate Institute for the Arts in Scarborough, Ont., where he presided over the school’s award-winning Environmental Club and co-chaired the Student Environment Network of the Toronto District School Board. In the community, Ramkellawan was a member of his school board’s Energy Decision-Making Committee, a group that works to develop strategies and policies to lower the amount of money the board spends on energy. He is studying environmental engineering at Guelph.
Kelly Voteary is a graduate of Syndenham High School in Sydenham, Ont., where she was an accomplished artist, competed in the All-Ontario Track and Field Championship in hurdles, triple jump and the relay team, and was a member and captain of the Eastern Ontario Championship Teams in both basketball and volleyball. Voteary went to the Dominican Republic earlier this year to volunteer in schools and orphanages. She also provided art therapy to Alzheimer’s patients and helped raise funds for Martha’s Table, a soup kitchen in her community. Voteary is now studying landscape architecture at the University of Guelph.
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