Acadia University - Student of the Year

2024 Recipient - Mr. Spencer Richard ('24)

If you were to combine talent, humility, intelligence, and grace in one person and say that individual was the epitome of what makes Acadia great, you would have Spencer Richard.

A 4.0 GPA student, student-athlete and captain of the Acadia football Axemen, perennial Academic All-Canadian, Sensory Motor Instructional Leadership Experience (S.M.I.L.E.) program leader, mentor, role model and all-around good person, Spencer Richard has made the most of his time at Acadia. Humble and honourable, he will leave an indelible impression at the end of his academic and personal journey in Wolfville, and every member of the Acadia family will be that much richer for it.

A natural and empathetic leader whose attributes include equal measures of hard work, kindness and commitment, Spencer is finishing up a two-year Master of Science in biology at Acadia after obtaining a BSc with honours in 2022. He has great potential as a scientist and has approached the degree thoughtfully and creatively, earning the praise of his professors and all project partners who have worked with him to facilitate his research.

While taking a full class load and writing a thesis, he has served as the Student Director of S.M.I.L.E., selecting student volunteers, pairing the volunteers with program participants, and creating and leading the physical activity programming with a philosophy of acceptance and inclusion for all individuals of any ability level.

He also facilitated an annual S.M.I.L.E. Holiday Toy Drive to ensure that several program participants would receive Christmas gifts. This began when Spencer was in first year and it has become a tradition ever since. For the past five years, Spencer has provided large Christmas baskets and a $100 gift card annually to 7-10 families in the region, seeking no recognition for this remarkably kind gesture and preferring instead to focus on those it will help rather than any accolades for a job well done.

In science, life and sport, Spencer Richard has consistently taken a leadership role, mentoring young people, amplifying their talents, and helping them to realize their goals, dreams and ambitions. The Acadia Alumni Association takes tremendous pride in his many accomplishments, and is delighted to acknowledge him as the 2024 recipient of The Athenaeum and Acadia Alumni Student of the Year Award.

“Students are the greatest asset the University has,” says Alumni Association President Matthew Rios ('14), “and they are the foundation of the Acadia experience. Throughout their academic and personal journey, each acquires and develops skills that translate beautifully upon graduation to our alumni family, and the University, countless communities and the Acadia Alumni Association are the beneficiaries of that. The vitality and integrity of their commitment to success and the betterment of one another and those around them has long been a hallmark of the personalized educational experience Acadia offers, and few have distinguished themselves as comprehensively as Spencer Richard. He exemplifies the values we hold dear as an Association and sets a standard of excellence to which students and alumni alike can aspire. It is a privilege to applaud his devotion to Acadia and recognize him as the 2024 recipient of The Athenaeum and Acadia Alumni Student of the Year Award.”

2023 Recipient - Ms. Olivia Stevenson ('23)

Olivia Stevenson ('23) entered the School of Kinesiology at Acadia University four years ago with a desire to build on a very successful high school experience and expand her horizons. Highly motivated, energetic and intelligent, she wanted to immerse herself in campus life, connect with students, faculty and staff, and satisfy an overriding ambition to serve others.

Fast forward to 2023 and there is no doubt that her remarkable empathy, capacity and positive approach has enriched the experience of many during her time at Acadia. She has fulfilled her ambition beyond all measure, engaging people with her powerful vision and providing spaces for others so they can be their very best.

A 3M National Student Fellow in 2022 as well as the Acadia campus finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship, Olivia is a leader and a learner, a fully engaged citizen in the Acadia, kinesiology, Wolfville and greater communities. She is an honours student, a Residence Assistant, a lead coach in Acadia Sport Performance, and a strength and conditioning coach for the varsity swim team.

She has earned numerous awards and distinctions, including: the McCall MacBain Regional Award from McGill University (2023); Student of the Month, Acadia Kinesiology Society (2022); Honours Summer Research Award, Acadia University (2022); Scotia Scholars Research Award, Research Nova Scotia (2022); the Garnet Burns Memorial Award, Health Association of Nova Scotia (2021); and a MITACS Accelerate Research Grant (2021), among many others.

Her distinguished resume at Acadia is extensive and impressive. She was President of the Acadia Kinesiology Society (AKS), serving as a member since her arrival at Acadia as a first-year student and in successively more progressive roles, culminating in the presidency. She was co-president of the Exercise is Medicine program; developed and led PAUSE (a mindfulness and yoga experience offered to all Acadia students through Acadia’s e-learning platform, ACORN) and AMI (the Affirmative Movement Initiative, a fitness support program for women, transgender, and non-binary individuals). Olivia has been a Kinderskills coordinator, worked with Acadia Active for Life, was a Teaching Assistant, and a hiring committee member in the School of Kinesiology. She is also a certified yoga teacher and personal trainer.

She has a clear passion and commitment to discovery, incredible academic and organizational abilities, and displays a compassion and respect for others in her relationships and interactions.

Acadia Alumni Association President Matt Rios ('14) says, “there is no doubt that Olivia Stevenson has excelled as a student and a scholar, but even more significantly, she is an outstanding human being who defines the finest elements of our Acadia community. She is humble and self-effacing, preferring to serve and credit others rather than herself. She has persistently devoted her considerable talents to helping students help themselves, identifying factors for their personal success and elevating their experience singularly and collectively. She has sought to enhance the lives of those around her through a kind and inclusive vision that addresses an unwavering commitment to change that I’m sure will distinguish her in the future. She is everything to which we should all aspire, and it is an honour to recognize her as this year’s recipient of The Athenaeum and Acadia Alumni Student of the Year Award.”

2022 Recipient - Ms. Sarah Lavallée ('22)

Every now and then a person arrives on campus who ticks all the boxes when it comes to defining the quintessence of an Acadia student. That person is intelligent, affable, academically adept, humble, passionate, athletic and, quite frankly, delightful.

The Acadia Alumni Association is proud to recognize and honour one such individual with this year’s The Athenaeum and Acadia Alumni Student of the Year Award: Sarah Lavallée ('22).

Graduating in May with honours in a Bachelor of Community Development with Environmental Sustainability Studies program, Sarah is a strong varsity athlete, accomplished academic and natural community builder who entered Acadia as an Arthur L. Irving Scholar. This is one of the most prestigious scholarships in Canada and is awarded based on outstanding academic achievement, passion for the environment, research interest and community involvement.

Throughout her degree, Sarah has maintained a near perfect GPA and has consistently been on the Dean’s list. A member of the Acadia Women’s Cross Country and Track Team since 2018, she recently served as team captain and earned the designation of Academic All-Canadian in each of her four years as an undergraduate. Her dedication to academics is equally as impressive. As well as being an Irving Scholar, Sarah was awarded a competitive HSRA Research Award for Summer Undergraduate Honours Research with Professor Emeritus Dr. Alan Warner. Her research focused on greenspace attachment and community resiliency in the town of Wolfville. Sarah was also nominated by her peers as Valedictorian for the Graduating Community Development Class of 2022.

“Sarah Lavallée embodies the qualities of ‘brightest and best’ that we often ascribe to Acadia University students,” says Acadia Alumni Association President Donalda MacBeath ('75). “Her abiding humanity, intelligence, curiosity and commitment to community development represent the values that our Association encourages and embraces, and I’m delighted to acknowledge her as the 2022 recipient of The Athenaeum and Acadia Alumni Student of the Year Award.”

From her first year of university, Sarah has immersed herself in the Acadia and Wolfville communities. Activities have included: organizing students to attend dinners at the Wolfville Farmers’ Market; collecting and distributing food from local businesses to students in need; developing an Irving Scholar Woodland Trails monitoring program that will be used well into the future; and leading multiple Mindfulness Hiking Groups on the Acadia Woodland Trails to promote mental health, to name only a few.

As she looks to the future, Sarah leaves a significant and meaningful legacy that will benefit many Acadia community members and constituent groups for years to come.

2021 Recipient - Mr. Guy Harrison-Murray ('21)

The Acadia Alumni Association is pleased to announce that Guy Harrison-Murray is the 2021 recipient of The Athenaeum and Acadia Alumni Student of the Year Award.

A highly regarded and engaging student-athlete who captained the Acadia men’s swim team in 2019 to its first Atlantic University Sport championship in 39 years, Harrison-Murray is a Paralympian, a World Champion medalist, an AUS all-star and AUS champion. Born in Bath, England, he and his family moved to Perth, Australia in 2011 before he enrolled in the Business and Marketing Honours program in the Fred C. Manning School of Business at Acadia. He is also currently interim coach of the men’s swim team.

As dominant as he was in the pool, Harrison-Murray’s academic credentials and campus contributions are equally as impressive. He is a three-time Academic All-Canadian, achieving an academic standing of 80 per cent or better while competing on one of USPORTS’ varsity teams, was awarded the AUS Community Service Award for Men’s Swimming in 2019, and recently received a prestigious Frank H. Sobey Award for Excellence in Business Studies, one of only nine business students studying at Atlantic Canadian universities to be named a recipient of the 2020-21 awards.

Acadia Alumni Association President Donalda MacBeath ('75) is delighted to acknowledge Harrison-Murray as the 2021 Student of the Year, saying, “Guy Harrison-Murray is representative of the Acadia experience and exemplifies enviable qualities of personal and civic commitment, leadership and perseverance that characterize our campus culture and members of our alumni community. During his time in Wolfville, Guy has distinguished himself as an outstanding athlete, student and mentor, contributing to the positive image and profile of the University and encouraging others to emulate his fine example. It is an honour to recognize him as this year’s recipient of The Athenaeum and Acadia Alumni Student of the Year award.”

Accolades are nothing new for Harrison-Murray. Awards earned during his time at Acadia include: the 2020 Jimmy Atomate ASU Leadership Award, given annually to a varsity athlete who has made an exceptional effort to connect with students and fans; the J. W. Johnstone Jr. Award, given annually to a superior student entering the senior/final year of an undergraduate degree program in the Faculty of Professional Studies; the 2019 KPMG Developing Marketing Potential Scholarship, recognizing and rewarding outstanding full-time students demonstrating commitment to their schools and larger communities; and the 2019 Roger Prentice Citizen Award, recognizing the contribution of Acadia University student-athletes who exemplify to the highest degree those attributes that the University values and encourages in all its student-athletes.

Harrison-Murray is also outgoing President of the Acadia Business Society and served as a student representative on the Fred C. Manning School of Business Advisory Board. He was active in student recruitment and retention efforts, having been nominated by various faculty members to serve as an Open Acadia Day Ambassador. In this role, he shared experiences and advice on thriving at Acadia with incoming students.

Additionally, he was curator of Humans of Acadia, an Instagram channel that highlighted the stories of dozens of Acadia family members, including students, staff and faculty. Contributions to the greater community include serving as President of the Acadia Players’ Association; International Student Welcome Week Leader; Acadia Ambassador; International Student Banquet Host; Junior Achievement Lecturer; and Relay for Life Captain.

Paul Callaghan, Director of the Fred C. Manning School of Business at Acadia, noted in a letter of support for Harrison-Murray’s nomination that, “Guy Harrison-Murray is a natural leader, a caring and compassionate young man, and a high-achieving student who embodies a positive agency in the world. The entire Acadia community has benefitted from his time here and should be proud of his achievements. I for one am confident that a career filled with further success and accomplishments awaits Guy, and know he will find ways to give back to the Acadia community he is very proud to be a part of.”

2020 Recipient - Mr. Liam Maaskant ('19)

The Acadia Alumni Association, in cooperation with The Athenaeum, is proud to announce that Clinton, Ontario native Liam Maaskant ('19) is the recipient of the Student of the Year Award for 2020.

An Academic All-Canadian in 2016, 2017 and 2018, this talented student-athlete was captain of the Acadia hockey Axemen during the past two seasons and an assistant captain for two seasons prior to that.

Additionally, during his five-year career at Acadia, Liam volunteered with Acadia’s S.M.I.L.E. (Sensory Motor Instructional Leadership Experience) program. During his first four years, he was actively involved with one S.M.I.L.E. buddy then moved on to be a Student Leader, where he supervised S.M.I.L.E. instructors every Tuesday and Thursday morning. Liam not only worked with the students in S.M.I.L.E. classroom sessions, he also took the time to chat with his buddy and others after his hockey games.

Liam has also been actively involved in the Acadia Players’ Association for the past five years.  He began as a Charity Representative and then, in year three, stepped into and played a very important role as co-president with Skye Forcier ('20), working with and providing guidance for many to raise funds for mental health initiatives at Acadia. He also assisted student-athletes in fundraising initiatives in the community.

In early 2020, Liam was instrumental in his role as a co-student coordinator with Forcier in launching the Acadia4U Athletics Wellness program. It assists varsity athletes with their mental, physical and academic well-being while at Acadia. This program is currently unfolding and will help many athletes moving forward with maintaining a well-balanced life while studying at Acadia.

Liam has also volunteered his time at a number of fundraising and minor hockey events, including Acadia's Hearts on Ice, which raises money for the Valley Cardiac Rehab Society, and the Hannah Miller Memorial Tournament, which gives back to the local hockey community.

A strong student and humble leader, Liam received the Randy Farris Award for Community Service in successive years from 2016-2019 at Acadia’s annual Fred G. Kelly Awards Banquet, was nominated for the James Bayer Memorial Scholarship Award in 2020, and won the AUS Godfrey Award for Community Service in 2019-2020.

As a result of the Godfrey Award, Liam was nominated for and won the prestigious U SPORTS Dr. Randy Gregg Award, a national honour that acknowledges an outstanding student-athlete’s commitment to Community Service. He is the first member of the Axemen ever to receive the Randy Gregg Award.

Alumni Association President Donalda MacBeath ('75) said Liam’s nomination was “a testament to what can be accomplished through desire, commitment and hard work. During his time at Acadia, Liam has embraced the Acadia mission and spirit, as demonstrated by the breadth, depth and duration of his commitments to community involvement, the University, his fellow students and academic studies. We extend congratulations to Liam on receiving this award and thank him for his many contributions to Acadia and our community."

From left: Ms. Ruvimbo Chipazi, Ms. Samantha Teichman

2019 Recipient - Ms. Samantha Teichman ('19)

Samantha Teichman is graduating from the Faculty of Arts with a double major in Sociology (Honours) and Women and Gender Studies. Over her time at Acadia, she has been involved as an executive member within the Sociology academic department, planning panels and program development for special events and summer camps, as well as the Women and Gender Studies planning committee.  She successfully completed her honours thesis and has presented her research findings on several occasions. She has been heavily involved with the Students’ Union, assisting with student elections and other events. She is the Associate Director to the VP Academic and External, and serves on the Academic Affairs committee, and was the WISE Coordinator for three years. In her spare time, she volunteers with the Friday night buddy program for young girls in the community. She has put her heart and soul into her studies during her time here. She demonstrates an incredible passion for issues and evolution of the role of women and girls in this ever-changing world.

2019 Recipient - Ms. Ruvimbo Chipazi ('23)

Ruvimbo Chipazi is graduating with a degree in Psychology. While attending Acadia, she has been involved in many aspects of campus and community life. She wants the world to be a better place. She has a worldly view that transcends cultures from her home country to rural Nova Scotia. She is curious and intelligent. She has most definitely made significant contributions to the enhancement of student life at Acadia.

Whether it be her involvement as a paid employee with the Office of Advancement where she makes such significant impressions on our alumni of all ages; or her advocacy for the Black Student’s Association; or her contribution to the development of our campus Sexual Assault protocol;  or her ambition to take on leadership roles in the ASU; she comes at the job with a smile on her face, a calmness in her persona, a worldly friendliness and an integrity that is to respected. She has challenged our campus community to think about what it really means to be inclusive. She has observed the best of intentions and applauded them, yet has asked us, the collective us, to broaden our understanding of the world outside of Wolfville, Nova Scotia. She has made a difference on this campus and will make a difference in the world.

2018 Recipient - Ms. Emily Murray ('18)

Emily Murray has fully embraced her time at Acadia and taken advantage of countless opportunities to make her university experience fulfilling and memorable in every way.

She is currently VP, Student Life, and has been a perennial member of the Acadia Students’ Union executive. She has also been president of House Council in Eaton House, co-event coordinator of the Executive ESST Society, and served a stint as Co-President as well. Emily has been an instructor and leader for Acadia’s Sensory Motor Instructional Leadership Experience (S.M.I.L.E.) program and has been involved in Community Outreach Acadia, to cite a few of her many on-campus accomplishments.

She has chaired and served on several committees during her time on the Students’ Union, and in 2015 received the Sydney Taylor ’13 Memorial Award, given to a student in the Faculty of Arts who has enriched campus life by virtue of a high degree of engagement and community involvement.

Emily also serves on the Wolfville L’Arche Board of Directors, has volunteered for Kids Action and was volunteer coordinator for the 2017 Environmental Education and Communication Conference at Acadia.

A vocal and enthusiastic cheerleader for Acadia, Emily has distinguished herself academically, socially and personally during her undergraduate career and proves with this honour and by her unselfish devotion to the University and its constituents that you certainly get what you give.

2017 Recipient - Ms. Katie Ross ('17)

Ask anyone who’s done it, and they will tell you that juggling schoolwork while playing on a varsity sports team is difficult. For third-year kinesiology student Katie Ross, this juggling act is just the beginning.

Katie plays on Acadia’s varsity soccer team, and when the team’s season ended in early November, she climbed back on the bus to join her teammates on Acadia’s varsity basketball squad.

But on November 16, she made a brief side trip to Ottawa, joining seven other student athletes from across Canada, to receive a Governor General’s Academic All-Canadian Commendation. Along with being a two-sport student-athlete, Katie carries a perfect 4.0 GPA and was named a CIS Top 8 Academic All-Canadian.

It’s clear that Ross was prepared for hard work when she chose to come to Acadia. “I wanted to play two sports, but no other school wanted to give me the chance. Here, I concentrate on soccer until the season is over and only practice basketball in small group sessions. Even then, my coaches trust me to pay close attention to how hard I’m working in practice so I don’t burn myself out. This trust makes me feel good as an athlete.”

“I think team culture has a lot to do with it,” says Amit Batra, head Axewoman soccer coach. “The students influence each other but Katie’s work ethic, time management, family support, and educational background in the IB program at Halifax Grammar are all key. Katie is one of many students who help set the tone for others. Frankly, I can’t wait to see what she does next."

With her eye on a career in physiotherapy, Ross knows many Acadia kinesiology graduates who are now practicing in the field and were prepared well by their professors. But with no previous connections to Acadia, playing for the Axewomen wasn’t necessarily Katie’s first choice. Being given the opportunity to play two sports was important, but not the only reason she chose Acadia. A visit to campus, where she met many of her professors, convinced her that the personal attention would be valuable and, after two full years on campus, Katie now says she has found the Acadia experience to be even more than she originally imagined.

“The entire community, on and off campus, is great,” she says. “I volunteer in Acadia’s cardio-rehabilitation program on Mondays and Wednesdays at 7 a.m. as well as at a number of student-led initiatives such as the Hannah Miller Tournament and Relay for Life. Volunteering is fun and a welcome break from school and competition, and many of the community members we volunteer with are in the stands at our games. Because of its size, Wolfville is the perfect fit for me.  It’s a small town, but it’s a very busy town. There is never a shortage of things to do.”

“I like to think of Acadia as an incubator,” says Dickie. “Whatever students have inside them, we will help them find it then nurture it to make it grow. We have seen this time and time again with student-athletes in our varsity sports program. They have won national academic awards, athletic awards and community service awards. This is a very special place and our students, through the support they receive, find a way to excel.”

Batra echoes this sentiment. “We certainly look for student-athletes who can perform at a very high level on the field, but it’s incomplete unless they also have academic goals. We believe in creating an environment where students can exceed what they believe is their potential.”

Ross’s advice to any student looking at their post-secondary options is to look at the support available to students. “The other day I was talking to a friend of mine who goes to another school but is enrolled in the same program as I am. She asked me what I do when I have a question and I said I just text my professor and usually get an answer back within in matter of hours at the most. In my class, there are just over 30 students – in hers, there are more than 600. The scale at Acadia means I get to know my professors and they get to know me. I’m very comfortable here.”