Top Marks for Academic and Community Spirit

Media Release
Date: April 25, 2008

A children’s literary champion, a mentor to Aboriginal students, and a Scouts Canada leader are among the student winners of the University of Victoria’s 2008 Blue and Gold awards. Each year, the university honours outstanding students who maintain solid marks in the classroom while making significant volunteer contributions to their communities.Andrew Bateman, Lisa DeWit and Jessica Page are the top prize winners, and were each awarded $2,500. Diane Cardin, Lior Malka, Maya Matthew, Kate McBride and Carly Rudolph received $1,000 each.

Bateman is in his final year as a Faculty of Science undergraduate student. He has volunteered with the UVic Students for Literacy organization as a reading buddy, providing one-on-one tutoring to children as well as providing organizational support for the group. Bateman has also volunteered with Common Energy, UVic Students’ Society, UVic Board of Governors and UVic Senate.

DeWit is a Wet’suwet’en student in the Faculty of Business. As part of her commitment to her roots and culture she is involved with the UVic Native Students’ Union and is a mentor to new Aboriginal students entering UVic’s commerce program. Her passions also extend to martial arts. She co-founded the Tae Kwon Do Club during her first year at UVic.

Page, in her last year of study as an undergraduate biology student, has amassed 2,000 volunteer hours through Scouts Canada as a leader, a youth representative for the western region and delegate to Scouts Canada’s Cascadia Council. Her Scouting work has taken her to Gambia and Ecuador. Page also serves on the UVic Senate, is one of three founding executive members of the UVic Curling Club and has volunteered extensively with Science Venture.

Cardin, Malka, Matthew, McBride and Rudolph all contribute to a variety of on- and off-campus volunteer organizations while also attaining strong academic credentials.

The Blue and Gold awards program was established in 1996 and receives financial support from CIBC. The 2008 awards were presented yesterday at UVic.

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Media Contacts:
Tara Sharpe (UVic Communications) at 250-721-6248 or tksharpe@uvic.ca