Posted on March 31: Student awards recognize outstanding contributions
[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/student_awards.jpg” caption=”Candy Hui, Sam Minniti”]Outstanding McMaster students and alumni were recognized for their contributions to the University community during this week's 24th annual Student Recognition Night.
McMaster students Candy Hui and Sam Minniti were honoured with the Honour M Award, the highest award presented by the McMaster Students Union. This Award is presented to students who show commitment to extra curricular activities both within the McMaster community and have rendered outstanding and valuable service to the Hamilton community and/or the McMaster community by any or all of the following: university government, student government, residence government, departments, clubs, societies, and/or university athletics.
“The Honour M Award in one of the most esteemed award programs hosted by McMaster University,” said McMaster provost Ken Norrie. “It is reserved for those who are recognized as clearly going above and beyond the norm in terms of their extracurricular service and student leadership.”
Hui, who will graduate this spring with a degree in kinesiology, has been a volunteer with various student services, including the Student Liaison Office and the Centre for Student Development
She co-ordinated McMaster's peer helper program and will co-chair a peer helper conference this October. Since last September, Hui has been a leadership co-ordinator for the Mary E. Keyes Certificate of Leadership with the Centre for Student Development and helped initiate and implement a women in leadership poster service. Also, as co-ordinator of the Student Walk Home Attendant Team, Hui led a team of more than 200 volunteers. In addition, she helped introduce new initiatives such as “Students on Patrol”.
“Candy's passion for helping others has allowed her to touch the lives of many people who have benefited tremendously from her inspiration, leadership and energy,” said Norrie. “Her outstanding contributions help make McMaster and the local community a better place.”
Minniti, who will graduate this spring with a degree in political science, has been involved in numerous leadership roles throughout the years, including MSU president in 2001-02. He also has been involved in numerous campus clubs and helped initiate the Fundraising Initiative Team. As well, he was a key member of a team that developed a proposal to have the student body partner with the University to expand campus facilities for athletics and recreation.
One of his most recent initiatives was Feed the Bus, a student-led service designed to collect non-perishable food items to support local food banks.
“These are just a few of the highlights of Sam's incredible contribution to improving the quality of student life at McMaster and in the surrounding community,” Norrie said.
Other award recipients are:
This award was presented in recognition of Stagg's leadership first as a student, and again in a distinguished career in the federal public service. Stagg was named to his current position, as deputy minister of the Department of Veterans Affairs, in 2003.
Stagg, a two-time McMaster graduate, was a student leader with the Student Representative Assembly, the Student Executive Committee, and was MSU president. In 1971, he was admitted to the Honour Society.
After completing his honours bachelor of arts in history in 1971, he went on to do graduate work, completing a master's at McMaster in 1972, and later a doctorate at Cambridge. He is a life member of the Cambridge Debating Union.
The Rudy Heinzl Award of Excellence recognizes an outstanding one year
achievement which improves the lives of McMaster students.
The $500 MSU Merit Scholarship recognizes outstanding achievement and
valuable service to the McMaster community.
The MSU awards a plaque each year, in honour of J. Lynn Watson to the
residence that has best exemplified the spirit of giving through
charitable work. Each residence is assessed on the amount of time, money and volunteers contributed to charitable work on a per capita basis for the past year.
The MSU Spirit Award is presented annually to the individual or group that best represents enthusiasm, dedication and increasing school spirit on campus.
