The Acadia Alumni Association is pleased to announce that Mckenna Batstone is the 2025 recipient of The Athenaeum and Acadia Alumni Student of the Year Award.

Mckenna truly made the most of her time at Acadia. A standout student, she graduated with a double major in Biology and Women’s and Gender Studies (WGST), and represented the Class of 2025 as the elected Cap and Gown Speaker at this year’s Baccalaureate Service.

As a first-generation university student, Mckenna came to Acadia with determination and independence. While she had never been to Wolfville when she decided to come to Acadia, she settled in quickly and applied her considerable talent and energy to volunteer activities, student governance and community outreach.

Among many endeavours during her undergraduate experience, Mckenna served as Coordinator of Community Outreach Acadia, a program that offers students opportunities to volunteer and get involved both on campus and in the broader community – including initiatives aimed at combating food insecurity. She was also the President of Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) at Acadia, an Alumni Ambassador for the Acadia Exchange Program, a student caller in the Alumni Relations Office, a Teaching Assistant for WGST, and Vice-President of Volunteer Opportunity for the Acadia Pre-Health Society. Mckenna was also a meal assistant and friendly visitor at Valley Regional Hospital and a coach at Acadia Minor Hockey Association. Furthermore, she completed an exchange semester at the University of Newcastle in Australia in 2023.

As an honours student in the Migicovsky lab on campus, she investigated carotenoid content across a diverse strawberry collection and previously completed a Research Topics inventorying Malus found in botanical gardens across Canada as a part of a conservation and climate adaptation strategy for Canadian apples. Mckenna has earned numerous awards and accolades, including the Elizabeth Cannon WISE Award (in 2022 and 2024), the Hannah Miller Memorial Award (in 2023 and 2024), and the Curtis H. and Margaret T. Chipman Achievement Award (in 2023) to name just a few.

Mckenna is a natural leader and role model whose professionalism, consistency and reliability have influenced her peers, members of campus and the local community, and the young hockey players she coaches in an enduring and positive way.  

“Personal growth through academic excellence and dedicated volunteerism is at the heart of the Acadia experience,” says Alumni Association President Christine Luckasavitch (’11). “The Athenaeum and Acadia Alumni Student of the Year Award celebrates an exceptional individual who embodies the Acadia spirit through meaningful contributions to both the campus and Wolfville communities. Mckenna Batstone is definitely that person. A compassionate leader and tireless volunteer, Mckenna has made a lasting impact, whether inspiring the young athletes she coaches, supporting her peers on campus, or bringing comfort to patients during hospital visits. She represents the best of what Acadia students strive to be, and it’s an honour to recognize her with this well-deserved award.”

After Acadia, Mckenna will attend medical school at St. James School of Medicine in the Caribbean. Her goal is to later return home to Newfoundland and Labrador to serve her community.