U of G Students Make Top 40 List
June 26, 2009 - Campus Bulletin
Eight University of Guelph students are among '40 under 40' Guelph residents recognized for their personal successes and community contributions.
Kyle Boorsma, Lindsay Carson, Paul Demarco, Nick Fitzgibbon, Nigel Gough, Mitchell Moffit, Robert Murray and Stephanie Pellizzari are featured today in a special supplement published by the Guelph Mercury.
The newspaper started the awards in 2008 as a way of recognizing the efforts of outstanding people who are making a difference in Guelph.
Winners range in age from eight to 39 and include athletes, artists, musicians, entrepreneurs, business people, health care workers and public servants.
Boorsma, a fourth-year biomedical sciences major, helped lead the U of G men’s cross-country team to its third consecutive Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) championships where he earned an individual silver medal. In previous years, he has been the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) champion and meet MVP. He is also a coach for Xtreme Team, an after-school program for children interested in track.
Fellow runner Carson just completed her second year in biological engineering. She was the CIS Female Track Athlete of the Year and captured three gold CIS medals. She won a gold and silver medal at the OUA track championships, was the female MVP, and helped the Gryphon women's track team capture its first OUA title. She also won a silver medal at the OUA cross-country championships and a bronze medal at the CIS cross-country championships.
Demarco and Murray were recognized as two of Guelph’s small business ambassadors. They own and operate Intrigue Media Solutions, which creates digital advertising for clients and places the ads on LCD monitors in high-traffic locations. The fifth-year commerce students created the company as a part-time start-up so they could get some practical business experience for a couple of semesters. They now have more than 25 monitors in Guelph and 15 in Kitchener-Waterloo.
Fitzgibbon, a fourth-year sociology student, is the tailback for the Gryphons. He is credited for helping U of G win two playoff games in 2007, the year Guelph also hosted the Western Mustangs in the 100th Yates Cup. He was the OUA’s leading rusher last season (fourth overall in Canada). He also speaks at local high schools and takes part in numerous charity events.
Drama student Nigel Gough made the list for being accepted into the world-renowned master's program at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, England. The school is one of the colleges of the University of London and has maintained a reputation for the finest theatre arts training in the world for more than a century. Gough also is active in numerous community organizations, and aspires to use theatre as a tool to engage youth.
Moffit helped put Guelph on the map as one of the top 50 candidates for a dream job in Australia. A President's Scholar, the now fourth-year biological sciences student was shortlisted for The Best Job in the World competition to become a caretaker on Hamilton Island in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. His inspirational video application became a source of University and community pride.
Pellizzari was honoured for her work with the Guelph and District Multicultural Festival. Previously a volunteer, she is now a full-fledged board member and is known for being an inspiring role model for youth. Pellizzari is also a teacher’s assistant with the International Languages Program and volunteers for numerous church and community organizations.
