Journey Towards Peace: Students Reflect on Northern Ireland Experience

A group of students from Saint Mary’s had a transformative experience when they traveled to Belfast earlier this month.

Peaceful Schools International went on their annual trip to Belfast through the Northern Ireland Conflict Resolution Program, which provides unique experiential learning for Saint Mary’s students.  

The program prepares the participants to conduct peace education workshops for elementary school children in Belfast. The students have a full itinerary including workshops, outreach and meetings with community partners involved in peacebuilding, as well as understanding the history and cultural perspectives of Northern Ireland. 

“This experiential program is a two-way street,” says Dr. David Bourgeois, Associate Professor/Undergraduate Coordinator, Psychology and faculty advisor in the Saint Mary’s University Northern Ireland Peace Education Program. “While our university students learn a great deal about conflict resolution, peace education, public speaking and the importance of service to others, their individual and collective efforts have tremendous impact in the schools and communities we visit. I remain impressed by the dedication and passion shown by our students.”  

Peaceful Schools International has developed strong and unique partnerships with dozens of schools and throughout communities in Belfast. Through this program, students receive the opportunity to learn from a wide range of non-profit organizations in Northern Ireland which deal with post-conflict and sectarian issues.  

"It has been my distinct privilege to work and volunteer alongside our Saint Mary's students again for the 18th year,” says Bridget Brownlow, Coordinator, Experiential Learning: Peace, Reconciliation and Development and Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Education. 

 “Our students deserve the greatest respect and admiration for their extraordinary commitment and dedication to promoting the importance of peace education for thousands of children this past month in schools throughout Halifax and Belfast.” 

Check out what students have to say about this experience:

"This experience means more to me than words can describe. The work that this program does in the communities of Belfast, is beyond incredible. We work with children that are experiencing the intergenerational trauma of the conflict in Northern Ireland, and to be able to give them even a glimpse of peace through our workshops, is so powerful. I am grateful to be able to bring a smile to the kids' faces when we walk into their classrooms." 
- Meaghan Reardon, Sobey School of Business  

"Our team commenced our journey to learn and grow alongside the locals of Belfast, sharing stories, knowledge and wisdom. By discussing our lived experiences, we were able to enhance our learning journeys and embody the true meaning of peace and reconciliation."
- Kyle Cook, SMUSA VP Advocacy, Faculty of Arts. 

"I was fortunate to connect with the faculty and students at ‘Bunscoil An tSleibhe Dhuibh’ primary school. As an Irish Studies student at Saint Mary’s who is learning the Irish Language. I was privileged to experience first-hand an Irish language primary school and utilize my Irish language skills with the students during our peace education workshops."
- Liam Mason, School of Business 

"Having the chance to impact hundreds of kids positively and seeing how eager they are to learn about how to live in harmony shows how important and impactful empowering others through education is. This opportunity is invaluable!"
- Rashae Hart, Sobey School of Business  

"The teachers are not only dedicated to the students, but to the community. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from this entire experience, it’s that teachers have the most important job in the world. The value of their contribution cannot be overstated."
- Maggie Kelly, Faculty of Science

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Inspiring words from Arts Valedictorians: “We all have a place in this university”

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Baden Mercer

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Weam Ibrahim

Baden Mercer and Weam Ibrahim have unique messages to share as valedictorians for the Faculty of Arts graduation ceremonies on Friday. Their speeches do have some common threads, though: gratitude for faith, family and the supportive environment at Saint Mary’s University.

Baden Mercer

“Religion for me has always been a personal area of study but not something I imagined I would study academically,” says Mercer, who started out as a political science major. After taking a few courses with the Department for the Study of Religion, he was intrigued and opted to do a double major.

“In today’s world, it’s definitely interesting to see how religion intersects with political systems, and to explore those tensions,” says Mercer, who grew up in Dartmouth and is an active member of the Anglican Church of Canada.

Last year, Mercer received the Harry and Lily Rutte Award for Spirituality in the Workplace, for a paper he wrote on the military chaplaincy. Winning the award motivated him to continue his research, so he’s returning to Saint Mary’s this fall to pursue a Master of Arts in Theology and Religious Studies. For his master’s thesis, he’ll expand his research to a national scale and explore how chaplains address contradictions between faith in the military and violence out in the field.

During his time at Saint Mary’s, Mercer has also been a passionate advocate for students with disabilities, as a student on the autism spectrum. “The Fred Smithers Centre of Support for Students with Disabilities has been a phenomenal support for me,” he says. The centre plays an integral role in helping students succeed in their academic goals, with services ranging from career counselling to ASL interpretation and providing a quiet place to write final exams.

The university’s smaller class sizes also provide a supportive atmosphere for students with disabilities, he adds: “Here, the professors get to know you, and take an active interest in how you’re doing. For new students coming in, if you’re ever having difficulty, there is always someone here to talk to at Saint Mary’s, whether it’s a classmate, faculty member, advisor, counsellor and so on.”

He’s the second generation in his family to graduate from Saint Mary’s—his father Dwayne studied engineering here 20 years ago.

Weam Ibrahim

Born in Libya, Weam Ibrahim was eight years old when her family moved to Canada so her father could pursue his PhD in Halifax. Soon she will have a Bachelor of Arts, and this fall she will begin work on a master’s degree in curriculum studies at Mount Saint Vincent University, in the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) program.

“It takes a village for someone to graduate university,” says Ibrahim, explaining she couldn’t have made it this far without the support and encouragement of her parents, her three younger brothers, and relatives back home.

“I can’t wait to hug my mom immediately after the ceremony and thank her for everything that she has done for me throughout my degree, then call my dad and brothers in Qatar. Then I am looking forward to making a memorable video call to my entire family in Libya, as they are all planning to gather together and watch the ceremony online.”

In her speech, she will share a thought-provoking quote from the Quran, which translates to “Perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you, and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you; God knows and you don’t know.”

The lesson behind this passage is to try your best to welcome opportunities, no matter how they may appear in the beginning. Even something like learning to navigate the pandemic, she says. “Let these experiences serve as a reminder that we are able to overcome any difficulty that comes our way, wherever we may be.”

An honours BA with an English major and a minor in international development studies has turned out to be “the biggest blessing in disguise,” she says, though she didn’t realize that when she first embarked on her studies.

“I have always enjoyed the sense of community and acceptance during my time at Saint Mary’s,” Ibrahim adds. “As a visible minority, being accepted and appreciated everywhere I went on the SMU campus has played an enormous role in my university experience. It goes without saying that SMU manages to make everyone from all different backgrounds, faiths and races feel like we all have a place in this university.”

Q&A with Science Valedictorian Dané Van Tonder

Dané Van Tonder

Dané Van Tonder has been committed to being involved in the community at Saint Mary’s and in Halifax since she moved to Nova Scotia in 2019.

 An engaged, active student, she joined Halifax Helpers, an organization that provides extra school support for students aged 6 to 18. This experience built on her experience with a similar program she participated in while in Ontario. Dané also tutored Korean students in Science and English, enjoyed playing intramural volleyball and ultimate frisbee, and worked as an Environmental Technician at the Atlantic Gold mine full time while studying part time.

 A native of South Africa, Dané has been in Canada with her family for 10 years. She transferred to Saint Mary’s after a year at the University of Windsor and is now graduating with a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Biology with minor in Psychology. She will write the Dental Aptitude Test (DAT) this summer and plans to pursue dentistry school in 2023.

Preferred name: Dané 

Hometown: Born and raised in South Africa, Cape Town, and now lives in Fall River, NS

Degree: Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Psychology 

Graduation date: May 19, 2022

Favourite class: Surprisingly, a Psychology course I took; “Human and Sexual Behaviour”

Awards: Science Valedictorian, Spring 2022

Future plans (education): Going back to school for another four years of dentistry (not sure where yet)

Future plans (career): Dentistry

Favourite spot at SMU: I spend most of my time in the library so probably the library on the third floor with a view to the plant wall

Advice for new students: Do your best and if you don’t do as good as what you’d like or hoped for, don’t be discouraged because if it was easy then everyone would be doing it and there’d be no challenge. As long as you do your part, the rest will come easy. Take breaks and don’t burn yourself out. Your mental health is more important. 

Q&A with FGSR Valedictorian Charlene Boyce

Charlene Boyce

Charlene Boyce (BA'92, MA'22) is a writer and creative professional who has worked in communications, community engagement and graphic design. She actively seeks work that aligns with her values, whether that be in higher education, non-profit systems change or environmental work. Her path has been circuitous and scenic, and she wouldn't change a step.

Her journey as a mature student began in MBA courses, but she realized that her interests lay in the nexus of history, culture and identity. She began her Master of Arts in Atlantic Canada Studies in 2019, completing her oral-history-based thesis during the pandemic while working full time. Through interviews with former employees, musicians and patrons, she explored the history of the Misty Moon Showbar and the implications that history holds for Halifax’s cultural identity.

In 2021, her short story Flour and Fire won first place in a Reedsy challenge and she has recently had a poem shortlisted by the Writer's Federation of Nova Scotia.

Preferred Name: Charlene M. Boyce

Hometown: Truro (born in New Glasgow)

Graduation Date: May 19, 2022

Previous Degrees: BA'92 (SMU), DiplGD’94 (NSCC)

Thesis title: Music, Money, Memory and Cultural Identity: An Oral History of the Misty Moon Show Bar

Thesis description: The Misty Moon Show Bar was an iconic nightclub in Halifax that was open 1969-1994 and lives on in infamy, tied to a cultural identity of Halifax as a violent city of many bars. Interviews were undertaken with 13 narrators who worked at, were patrons of, or were musicians who played at the club, in order to establish an oral history and dig into the validity of this association. A thematic analysis establishes the community was linked through music, monetary benefits and shared experience. The report exposes the connections and care at the core of the collective identity, while looking at the ways that the Misty Moon is still collectively
commemorated.

Why did this type of research appeal to you? 

In 1988 when I came to SMU, I quickly discovered the downtown bar scene and I have remained intrigued by the interweaving of personal identity and cultural identity, reflected in some of the discourse around different interpretations of Halifax history and city’s identity. 

Why did you choose Saint Mary’s University for your graduate work? I was working here when the idea began to crystallize and I was familiar with some of the excellent history work undertaken here in the Atlantic Canada Studies program. I think talking with Raymond Sewell about his experience was a clinching factor for me. 

Any other successes you’d like to share, or difficulties you were able to overcome? During the drafting of this thesis, at home in the dark days of the pandemic, I honed and perfected my Productive Procrastination techniques. I’ve written more than 20 short stories during this time, one of which won a competition; I have also written poems, and undertook my first 3-Day Novel challenge, producing a 60,000 word manuscript in three days. I feel like this experience has really unlocked my long-harboured writing ambitions. 

Future plans? Keep writing, keep finding work that aligns with my values and keep learning. 

Advice to students? By all means, let fear keep you from doing things like jumping out of perfectly good airplanes, but never let fear keep you quiet when you need to speak, and don't let fear hold you back from taking exciting chances, like stepping into a new career or moving across the country. The growth you will achieve is worth the risk.*

*If you are already a skydiver, kudos to you! Someday, maybe I will... but probably not!

Saint Mary’s EIT and Sobey School of Business collaborate on new student-led internship

Kavitha Raveendaran, EIT technology intern

Through a brand-new collaboration between the university’s Enterprise Information Technology (EIT) management, the Sobey School of Business and the Faculty of Commerce, Master of Technology Entrepreneurship & Innovation (MTEI) student Kavitha Raveendaran has begun work as the first EIT technology intern here at Saint Mary’s. EIT supports the mission of Saint Mary’s University by connecting faculty, staff and students to the information technology resources they need, and Raveendaran sees her position as an extension of this mission.

“This internship is a bridge between EIT and the Sobey School,” says Raveendaran. “There is a lot of value in having more open communication between these groups.” The EIT Technology Internship program, as envisioned, creates an optimal learning environment for interns to apply their real-world and educational experience, benefiting themselves, their client departments, and the university.

Todd Williams, Chief Information Officer of Saint Mary’s University, recognized the deep and diverse skill sets possessed by students and saw an opportunity that would benefit graduate students, departments and faculties, and the university at large. The vision of the EIT paid internship, offered to graduate students within the MTEI program, was to provide the intern with the opportunity to apply their knowledge to real projects, involving people, process and technology, by assisting in the delivery of enterprise-level strategic initiatives to department stakeholders.

Raveendaran was looking for just such a position. An IT engineering graduate originally from India, she travelled to Saint Mary’s to pursue her MTEI degree. Her goal when she arrived in Halifax was to find a job in her field to do alongside her studies; with over 12 years of software development experience and having worked with large national and multi-national companies, she approached the IT department for job opportunities.

“I had never worked in a higher education domain before, and so I reached out to Todd Williams of EIT,” Raveendaran explains. “We had a meeting wherein I asked about part-time work and the potential for an internship. Todd really gave me the space to figure out what I wanted to do with this position. He collaborated with me and allowed me to customize the position based on where I could see myself succeeding.”

During this eight-month internship, which began mid-March of this year, Raveendaran will be working on institutional projects based on modernizing and streamlining communication technology used at the Sobey School of Business, as well as helping to identify technological needs for the new Sobeys Inspiration Hub. Kavitha appreciates the unique opportunity that an internship in her field within the university landscape poses for her.

“I am able to both work and study at the university,” she says. “It’s wonderful.”

An internship isn’t the only thing that Raveendaran has gotten out of her time at Saint Mary’s University—she’s also been inspired to further her education. After she finishes her MTEI degree, Raveendaran plans to pursue a Doctorate in Design Thinking, a domain she learned about from a professor she met while doing the MTEI program. She credits the faculty and staff at Saint Mary’s as the community that has given her the confidence to dream big.

“At first, I was terrified to come back to school,” she says. “I haven’t been a student for 12 years, how do you get back to that? Once I arrived I realized how warm and supportive everybody at Saint Mary’s is. It really feels like faculty sees equal potential in all of their students—it helped me see the potential in myself.”

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Winter 2022 Valedictorians honoured at Spring Convocation

At Spring Convocation 2022, Saint Mary’s recognized the valedictorians who graduated in January 2022 but whose convocation ceremonies were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here are excerpts from their valedictory speeches at those special Winter 2022 ceremonies on May 17, 2022:

Smile Phyllis Gaewu

Smile Phyllis Gaewu (MTEI)
Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research

“As we go forward on our individual journeys, I want to leave you with some impactful words that happened to be the email signature of an esteemed former faculty member of the Sobey School of Business and a mentor to me, Karn Nichols. I quote, ‘Be curious, Be open, Be kind.’ This simple tenet will go a long way to enrich your lives if you embrace it and live by it.”

Dania H. Abdulrahim

Dania H. Abdulrahim (Winter 2022 Class)
Sobey School of Business

“To all the parents who have supported their graduates, both emotionally and financially, I am proud of you. To all the teachers and mentors who have inspired and guided their graduates, I am proud of you. From the bottom of my heart, to all the graduates who have struggled yet prospered, I am proud of you. Not only are we acknowledging those accomplishments here today, but acknowledging and welcoming a new beginning with open arms.”

Teaching English with a Global Outlook

Sandra Borges

Sandra Borges has spent the last 20 years teaching English as an additional language. Hailing from São Paulo, Brazil, Borges and her husband looked for opportunities to further their careers in Canada.

The couple were on the hunt for a small city near the ocean, and Halifax was a perfect fit. When she learned about the International Master’s in Teaching English program offered at Saint Mary’s, she knew it was meant to be.

After a year and a half of online classes, immigration delays, balancing work and school full time, Borges will cross the stage at Spring 2022 Convocation as a graduate of the IMTE program and the first recipient of the Eric & Ingeborg Enns Family IMTE Convocation Award.

Passionate about language learning

As an English teacher, and more recently a teacher-trainer, Borges is passionate about sharing her love of language and culture with students. She saw the IMTE as an opportunity to advance herself as a teacher, as the immersive 16-month program combines the theoretical and practical aspects of teaching English.

Launched in 2019, the IMTE program admits international graduate students aspiring to work globally as English language teachers or educators. It is estimated that one in four people in the world now speaks or is learning English, and this global need gives graduates of the program a wealth of international opportunities.

Her classmates, a group of 22 students, represented seven different countries across four continents. She describes the experience of meeting new people, getting to learn about different cultures, languages and dialects as “enriching.”

Supportive learning environment

Borges’ program began in September 2020, while the university was operating virtually due to the pandemic. While some students were able to eventually attend classes in person, Borges completed the entire program from home in Brazil due to visa delays, balancing full-time work with her studies. She credits Dr. Esther Enns, Associate Vice-President of Teaching & Learning and IMTE instructor, and Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray, President and Vice-Chancellor, for working with her throughout the immigration process.

Connecting to real-time virtual classes with students from 12 time zones was a unique challenge for this class. Although she was participating online, Borges never felt alone. She engaged in every discussion and brainstorm with her classmates.

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Students in the program had the opportunity to teach on a service-learning basis in the English language programs offered by the Halifax Public Library, the Halifax Refugee Clinic and the Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS), as well as the unique opportunity to teach English in a high school in Giessen, Germany. Because of COVID, much of this teaching was done online, which enabled the students to expand the scope of their teaching skills from in-person to online environments.

“The instructors understand what it means to be a teacher of language,” says Borges. “They listened to us and helped us work toward our goals. They provided us with many opportunities and support.”

After completing the program, Sandra and her husband arrived in Halifax in January 2022. “We survived our first winter,” she laughs. Once in Halifax, she continued to receive support from the instructors who helped her find housing, took her to the grocery store, and shared their knowledge of the ELT market in Canada. “These small actions were so meaningful and confirmed to me that Saint Mary’s treats its students with care. I felt at home.”

 Convocation award

As the January 2022 convocation ceremonies were postponed due to the pandemic, Borges will join her cohort at the Spring Convocation ceremony on May 17, 2022. There, she will be presented with the Eric & Ingeborg Enns Family IMTE Convocation Award.

This award recognizes a graduate who has excelled in the IMTE program, as they “embark on their journey to become leaders in global language education and intercultural understanding.” It was created by Dr. Esther Enns in honour of her parents, Eric and Ingeborg, who immigrated to Canada. They embraced the challenges of learning a new culture and language with optimism and became “transcultural persons with a global outlook.”

“I feel honoured to receive this award,” says Borges. “Everything I’ve accomplished is inspired by my own parents, who were immigrants inside Brazil, travelling from different states to São Paulo where they met each other and built our family – while their stories are different, their efforts are the same.”

She credits Dr. Enns as an “inspiration” who impressed upon her the importance of becoming a global educator, not only through language but through cultural learning and understanding.

 Looking to the future

Currently, Borges works as an EAL writing tutor at Saint Mary’s, where she supports international students with their academic writing. She is also TA for the IMTE program.

She dreams of one day teaching in the IMTE program, as her passion for teaching has only grown. She intends to begin working toward a Doctorate and hopes to remain connected to Saint Mary’s for years to come.

As for her fellow graduates, they have been finding success globally; one is teaching English at a school in Mexico, several are working in China, and others have stayed in Halifax with a post-graduate work permit.

Gold Medals and Silver Linings: Huskies hockey alumna Kori Cheverie reflects on ‘whirlwind’ coaching journey

Kori Cheverie

On the evening of February 17, 2022, millions of Canadians tuned into the women’s hockey gold medal game at the Beijing Olympics, cheering on Team Canada from their living rooms.

Saint Mary’s alumna Kori Cheverie BA’12 may have been one of the more personally invested viewers in the country, as she was watching as an assistant coach for Team Canada, despite being more than 10,000 kilometres away from the Olympic Games.

Cheverie describes the first few months of 2022 as a “rewarding whirlwind,” as the New Glasgow, NS native has experienced some of the highs and lows of her career while proudly representing Canada.

In January of 2021, Cheverie was named to the coaching staff of the Canadian National Women’s Team.

“That was a dream come true,” said Cheverie. “Growing up as a female hockey player in Canada, that’s the gold standard. I grew up dreaming of playing for the National team, but that’s one of the great things about hockey, there’s always the opportunity to stay involved in the sport, so to represent Team Canada was a lifelong goal.”

But a week before the team was scheduled to fly to Beijing, Cheverie tested positive for COVID-19, meaning she wouldn’t be able to travel to the Games.

“It was devastating news, but the cool thing about our group was we really focused on being a team first,” she said. “When the news came that I wasn’t able to go, I was disappointed but quickly shifted to focus on the silver linings. I went back to Nova Scotia and focused on doing everything I could still do to help us win the gold.”

Despite being stuck on the other side of the world, Cheverie was able to stay involved with the team through virtual meetings and watching all the games live from her living room in Nova Scotia.

“It was a 12-hour time difference, so the math wasn’t too hard… If the team had a 7 p.m. meeting in Beijing, I would be FaceTiming in at 7 a.m. from Nova Scotia,” laughs Cheverie. “It was a hard couple of weeks in terms of sleep schedule, but it was definitely worth it.”

Canada went on to win the gold medal, defeating their American rivals 3-2 in the final. When the final whistle blew, players FaceTimed Cheverie from the ice so she could virtually join in on the team celebrations.

“I talked to the coaches and players every single day and they kept me involved, so I still feel like I was part of the team that won gold.”

Making hockey history

Just two months later, Cheverie reached another major career accomplishment, becoming the first woman to serve as a coach for a Canadian men’s national team when she was named an assistant for Team Canada at the under-18 World Hockey Championships.

“To be honest, when they reached out with that opportunity, I wasn’t thinking too much about being the first woman to coach a men’s team,” recalls Cheverie. “It was just another opportunity to represent my country, work with some great athletes and coaches, and do whatever I could to help the team win.”

“I think it’s important for us as role models, not just for young girls, but for boys too, to be able to see that women can do what men can do in the game.” ”

— Kori Cheverie

Team Canada finished fifth at the tournament in Germany, and Cheverie says it was a great opportunity.

“It was a great experience, even though the outcome wasn’t exactly what we wanted. It was great to be a part of these young athletes lives on their trajectory to pro hockey, and their next career steps.”

Now back in Nova Scotia, Cheverie has had time to reflect on her trailblazing accomplishment of being the first woman behind a Canadian Men’s team bench.

“I don’t think I ever sought out to coach on the men’s side, it’s just kind of where the opportunities have led me,” says Cheverie, who also works full time as an assistant coach for the men’s team at Ryerson University.

“The men have been coaching on the women’s side for a really long time, and there are tonnes of qualified women coaches out there, who haven’t always gotten opportunities in the men’s game,” adds Cheverie. “I think it’s important for us as role models, not just for young girls, but for boys too, to be able to see that women can do what men can do in the game.”

Once a Husky, always a Husky

While her hockey journey has seen her travel around the world, Cheverie credits a large part of her career development to her time at Saint Mary’s University.

Kori Cheverie

“I played at Saint Mary’s for five years and it was a great experience. Looking back at my time there, I got a great education, got to play the sport that I loved, and made lifelong friends.”

Cheverie played at Saint Mary’s from 2005–2010, graduating as one of the most accomplished players in program history. She was selected as an AUS First Team All-Star three times, winning the AUS Student-Athlete Community Service Award twice, was named Saint Mary’s Female Athlete of the Year twice, and represented Team Canada at the 2009 FISU World University Games.

But as one might expect from a future coach, Cheverie points to team success as her greatest accomplishment with the Huskies.

“Winning the AUS Championship in 2010 to finish off my career was amazing, and beating St.FX in the semi-finals was one of my most memorable experiences. Some of my best friends played at St.FX and they were the league favourites for my whole five years, and we didn’t beat them once in the regular season. I’ll never forget beating them in the semi-final, and then going on to win the finals against Moncton.”

Cheverie also credits the roots of her coaching career to her time at Saint Mary’s.

“(Former Huskies coach) Lisa Haley had a huge impact on myself, and many other players that she coached. At the beginning of my time at SMU, I had no ambitions to coach, but in 2009 I got the opportunity to help with some girls’ teams here,” she said. “From that moment on, I stayed in the hockey development world.”

Just 34-years-old, Cheverie still has a lot of goals left to accomplish in her coaching career.

“There’s a lot I still want to do in hockey,” says Cheverie. “I really enjoy the scouting side of the game, and obviously coaching, whether it’s on the bench, from the press box or from another continent. I just want to continue to learn and grow, whether it’s on the men’s side or the women’s side, I want to continue to get the opportunity to stay in the game and learn from the people around me.”

And she offers some advice for anyone chasing a dream, in athletics or not.

“Just stick with it,” says Cheverie. “The most important decision I made was continue to play. After my time at SMU, I moved to Toronto to play in the CWHL. That pushed me into an uncomfortable zone that I had to navigate, but it’s how I ended up with my first full-time coaching jobs, and it’s one of the best decisions I ever made. It’s easy to stop playing the sport you love and move on to your career, but you can find so many amazing experiences in the world of sports outside of playing.”

Inspiring words from a proud Huskies alumna who continues to break barriers on and off the ice.

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To learn more about our Ice Hockey teams here at SMU, visit our varsity athletics website.

Sowing the Seeds of Peace: Northern Ireland Peace Education Program

President Summerby-Murray wished the students and program coordinators well before leaving for Northern Ireland.

President Summerby-Murray and Dr. Malcolm Butler, VPAR, wished the students and program coordinators well before leaving for Northern Ireland.

Liam Mason, Bachelor of Commerce student, connects with students at Bunscoil An tSleibhe Dhuibh primary school. "As an Irish Studies student at Saint Mary’s, I was privileged to experience first-hand an Irish language primary school and utilize my Irish language skills with the students during our peace education workshops."

A group of 16 Saint Mary's students are building on a longstanding legacy of peace education in Northern Ireland this week.

The students—representing diverse areas of studies in Arts, Science and Commerce—are taking part in the Northern Ireland / North of Ireland Peace Education Program, facilitated by Peaceful Schools International and the Faculty of Education at Saint Mary's.

Now in its 18th year, the unique experiential program prepares the participants to conduct peace education workshops for elementary school children in Belfast. The students have a full itinerary including workshops, outreach and meetings with community partners involved in peacebuilding, as well understanding the history and cultural perspectives of Northern Ireland.

The group returns to Halifax on May 9. Check @smuhalifax for updates on their experiences, and stay tuned for a future story upon their return!

A Month of Madness: Saint Mary's Wraps Up Another Successful National Student Entrepreneurship Competition

After 31 days of competition featuring top student entrepreneurship talent from across Canada, one person has climbed to the top of the bracket as the winner of this year's 2022 Saint Mary's University March Madness Competition.  

Senior chemical engineering student, Quinn Cavanagh of Dalhousie University, won for his pitch RFINE Biomass Municipal Biomass Solutions. RFINE produces materials from spent coffee grounds that can be used for products such as high-strength building materials to flexible plastic alternatives—a wide array of customizable applications. 

According to Cavanagh, 82 million kilograms of waste coffee grounds are disposed of daily, waste that produces vast amounts of greenhouse gases. Consumers are demanding that coffee companies take more responsibility. His pitch illustrated how RFINE collects coffee waste to create high-value compounds that would allow companies like Starbucks to have every table and countertop in their stores to be made from their coffee waste. The abundance of applications for RFINE's coffee ground materials idea showed abundant potential to the judges, who awarded Cavanagh the win. With the win comes a $10,000 top prize sponsored by Metronome United and one-year membership of legal guidance and support for his start-up provided by Goodlawyer. 

Goodlawyer is offering a year of their pro membership to the top four finalists. At the same time, the second-place finisher received $5000, and the two third place finishers left with $1000 to support their ideas courtesy of Shannon Byrne Susko BComm'89 BSc'92 and Metronome United. 

"I want to congratulate Quinn on his win and Danielle, our second-place finisher, for an amazing finale to our best March Madness competition to date," says Michael Sanderson, Director, Saint Mary's University Entrepreneurship Centre (SMUEC). "Thank you to everyone who participated and brought their great ideas to the forefront. And a special thanks to our sponsors and judges who play a critical role in making this pitch tournament a success." 

This national competition, a destination for Canada's top student entrepreneurs, featured twenty-four universities from coast to coast. From as far west as the University of Victoria and the University of Alberta to participants from central Canada such as the University of Waterloo, Carleton University, and Western University. Eastern Canada was also well represented with many participants, including HEC Montreal, Mount Allison University, Saint Mary's University and the Memorial University of Newfoundland. 

Saint Mary's University's own Marlee Armour, a graduate student in the Master of Technology Entrepreneurship & Innovation program at the Sobey School of Business, finished in a tie for third place. Her pitch was for a product called the SwimTrainer, a flotation device that supports both a better position for children to learn to swim and a safer position for them to float in the water.  

For more information about the tournament, visit https://smuec.ca/march_madness/ or visit www.facebook.com/smuec.ca to watch the videos from each round.

Frank H. Sobey Award for Excellence in Business Studies Win for Sobey School Student

Laura Eamon
Photo: Steve Smith - VisionFire Studios

Laura Eamon, a fifth-year student at the Sobey School of Business who is completing a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Economics, was awarded the Frank H. Sobey Awards for Excellence in Business Studies.

"We continue to be inspired by the talent, leadership and entrepreneurialism shining through students at Atlantic Canadian business schools," says Paul D. Sobey, Chair of the Board of Trustees.

Laura is one of only nine recipients of the $35,000 award given to undergraduate students of Business Studies in universities across the Atlantic Provinces.

“We are thrilled that Laura has earned this award,” says Dean Harjeet Bhabra of the Sobey School of Business, who selected Laura for consideration by the awards committee. “Our school is committed to providing the highest quality of business education and preparing our graduates to lead entrepreneurial and sustainable businesses and communities. Laura’s win shows that our students’ achievements in their academic studies are matched by their engagement with and contributions to the broader communities.”

All full-time business students attending Atlantic universities are eligible for consideration. Deans of Business at each university nominate candidates based on entrepreneurship, supporting the communities in which they live and work, and their employment experience.

Laura, a part-time project coordinator with the Sackville Business Association and a member of the Saint Mary’s University Environmental Society, credits her sobriety – she has been in recovery for eight years – as the reason for her success. In addition to wanting to bridge the gap between the environmental and business sectors in Nova Scotia, Laura views her win as confirmation that people in recovery can have a positive impact.

“It’s an immense honour to receive the Frank H. Sobey Excellence in Business Studies and to celebrate the Sobey legacy,” says Laura. “All of my hard work has been validated, and my sobriety is the reason I’m here. The support from the university and Sobey family is immeasurable, and I look forward to continuing those relationships for a long time.”

The award recipients are selected by the Frank H. Sobey Awards Board of Trustees comprised of Atlantic Canadian business and academic leaders. Established in 1989, the Frank H. Sobey Awards for Excellence in Business Studies have awarded more than $2.5 Million to business students in the four Atlantic Provinces.

What leadership means to student behind this year’s Student Leadership Conference

Third-year science student Muiz Demilade Adebayo

As we look ahead to this year’s Student Leadership Conference, we checked in with computer science and psychology student Muiz Demilade Adebayo, one of the student leaders behind this year’s conference. We asked Demilade, who has spent his last three years at Saint Mary’s getting deeply involved in our community, what leadership means to him.

“It can mean having the ability to inspire others around you to be their best selves and achieve their full potential,” he says.

And the Student Leadership Conference, now taking place on Saturday, March 19, hopes to do just that—inspire students with a full day of discussions, panels, and workshops. At the conference, students will explore what leadership means to them, and gain tangible takeaways to strengthen their own leadership skills.

“Everyone will use leadership skills at some point,” says Demilade. “It’s best to learn about leadership skills and explore the leadership styles that fit you best now. That way, you’re ready for when you can put your leadership skills into practice.”

At the conference, students will kickoff the leadership conversation with speakers including Tom Brophy, Associate Vice-President (Student Affairs and Services). Then students will join keynote speaker Dr. Rohini Bannerjee, Associate Vice-President (Diversity Excellence), to explore what leadership looks like in practice. Next, students will take part in one of three concurrent sessions to sharpen their own leadership skills.

Leadership starts, says Demilade with listening to and learning from others. From being a Pack Leader and a Student Life Coordinator in Student Affairs and Services, to volunteering across campus, Demilade has always sought new opportunities to learn.

“I want to build my experience,” says Demilade of his volunteer work on and off campus. “I also want to socialize with people from different backgrounds, while learning from them.”

And what is the most important skill a leader can have?

“Empathy,” Demilade shares. “Leadership is broad and different, and there are lots of things a person can do to exhibit the signs of a leader. But leadership works best when we pay attention to the needs of people around us and support what works for them.”

Saint Mary’s students can sign up now for the Student Leadership Conference. To find out what happens at the conference, stay up-to-date with Saint Mary’s Student Life on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.