Medal-winning students share their journey, advice at Fall Convocation
Crossing the stage at Convocation is an incredible achievement in itself; but two UM students will receive the additional honour of being medal winners.
Let’s get to know these two students from the fall Class of 2024.
GOVERNOR GENERAL’S SILVER MEDAL 
Alexander Senden, Faculty of Science
Bachelor of Computer Science (Honours) degree
Senden’s passion for computer science began in high school at Winnipeg’s River East Collegiate where a teacher, Mr. Hildebrandt, sparked his interest in programming by encouraging students to have full creative control over the computer programs they made.
He discovered computer science was “my ideal intersection of mathematics and problem solving, and the abundance of new, interesting problems to work on made it an easy choice.”
Senden is graduating this month with an honours degree in computer science, and has begun a master’s degree at UM in the same subject. His graduate research applies machine learning to reduce herbicide use in agriculture, which he hopes will benefit the environment and Manitoba’s economy.
In completing his bachelor’s degree he says he learned how to be a better problem solver by asking the right questions and breaking down complex challenges.
“I think the key to academic success is to understand how you learn, to build your study habits around what works best for you (not just what you are told you should do), and to not be afraid to try new things … [or] things that seem difficult, whether that be specific courses, professors, or even bigger and more challenging projects. Often the greatest progression comes from the biggest risks. University is a time to take risks in the name of learning, without fear of failure.”
UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA GOLD MEDAL 
Jimmy Szutu, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences
Bachelor of Respiratory Therapy
Szutu, who already has a degree in athletic therapy, chose to pursue respiratory therapy due to growing demand for the profession. He was interested in being able to work in diverse environments like emergency departments and clinics, while combining clinical practice with technology.
Alongside his studies, he worked as a Respiratory Therapy Assistant at the Health Sciences Centre and conducted a literature review comparing non-invasive ventilation methods for premature infants which he presented at RT Research Day.
Being a full-time student with a part-time job, Szutu says it was difficult to maintain a work-life balance. But, the friendships he made inside and outside the classroom, together with his passion for health care, helped him succeed.
Reflecting back, he suggests students learn to not be too hard on themselves. “I think that throughout the program, I was too critical of myself whether it was not attaining a desired grade/percentage on an assignment or exam, or making a mistake while performing a competency during clinical placements. Of course, this way of thinking made me forget about my accomplishments and areas that I excelled or was successful in.”
UM Bisons are at the centre of it all, making a difference here in Manitoba and around the world. 1,429 degrees are being awarded at Fall Convocation, bringing the number of graduates in the class of 2024 to just over 5,500. Many of these new alumni will stay in Manitoba, contributing high-demand skills to the labour market and injecting nearly $300 million into the province’s economy each year.