President’s Scholars honoured
At a celebration on January 28, 2016, University of Manitoba President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. David Barnard recognized students who earned the distinction of President’s Scholar at a reception held in their honour. The designation is given each year to students admitted to the U of M with a minimum 95 per cent high school average and who maintain a minimum grade point average of 4.0 for the rest of their first degree. President’s Scholars who reach their fourth year maintaining their 4.0 GPA are presented with a pin they can wear to proudly show their commitment to their academic studies and leadership. This year, the university awarded 46 senior students with a pin. There are now almost 450 President’s Scholars at the University of Manitoba.
Sarah Saunders, Student Leadership Coordinator, Student Life, was the emcee at the event. She told the students: “These pins grew out of the initiative of previous (now graduated) President’s Scholars – something distinctive, and distinguished that scholars could wear with pride. They were designed with fourth year scholars in mind: representing the hard work and perseverance that it took for you to maintain such a high level of academic achievement throughout your time here.”
Omar Elgazzar, a first year President’s Scholar in the Faculty of Science, said: “The President’s Scholar reception not only helped connect students with one another but also reminded us that life is not just about academics; it is the shared excellence in both academics and extracurricular activities that shapes the model scholar.”
The distinction of being a President’s Scholar makes a student eligible for a number of benefits, such as: scholarship funding of $1000 in each second, third, and fourth years of study (providing he or she meets renewal criteria), priority registration, notation on the university transcript, access to the President’s Scholars Study Lounge and special events sponsored by the Office of the President and University of Manitoba faculties.