Students shared powerful reflections on the impact their chosen teachers had on their lives, highlighting the dedication, compassion, and humour these educators brought to the classroom. For some, the most influential teachers were also the toughest—those who held them to high standards because they genuinely believed in their ability to succeed.

“My mom went to a parent-teacher conference. I had an excellent report card—except for all the classes I had with one teacher, Ms. Margaret Wiens. My grades in her class were thirty percent lower than every other class,” shared Christine Hay, the outstanding student selected from the Faculty of Education. “The rural school I attended was a Grade 4 to 12 school, with no high school art programming at all. Margaret Wiens was a teacher who saw the value of art in education. So, when I decided in Grade 12, four years later, that I wanted to apply to the School of Art at UM with no arts training at all, it was Ms. Wiens who learned how to build an entrance portfolio and mentored me through the entire process—during her lunches, her preps, and after school. I did end up getting direct entry into the School of Art. It is with deep gratitude that I stand here today and thank you, 23 years later, for showing up every day with grit, for showing me grace, and for being an example of how I hope to show up for my future students.”

Left image from left to right, Yvonne Fenner, College of Rehabilitation Sciences, Occupational Therapy, outstanding student, Ms. Margaret Hart, College of Rehabilitation Sciences, Occupational Therapy, outstanding teacher. Right image from left to right, Mr.  Ron Constant, Joe A. Ross School, outstanding teacher, Yvonne Fenner, College of Rehabilitation Sciences, Occupational Therapy, outstanding student

This year’s Students’ Teacher Recognition Reception was held on May 5 bringing together students, their selected teachers, faculty representatives, and invited guests for an afternoon of meaningful celebration. The event was hosted by The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning and emceed by the Centre’s Director, Dr. Erica Jung.

Dr. Diane Hiebert-Murphy, Provost and Vice-President (Academic) brought greetings and shared her own reflections on the educators who made a lasting impact in her life. “I think back to my high school teachers’ who encouraged me to recognize potential that I didn’t fully see in myself, and some University Professors who helped shape the direction of my academic life, and ultimately my professional life. These individuals will never fully appreciate or know the impact that they had on me, but I certainly think about them every year when I come to this reception.”

Throughout the afternoon, students spoke not only about the academic guidance they received but also the personal support their teachers offered—support that extended beyond the classroom. Many shared stories of educators who cared deeply, often becoming mentors, role models, and even friends.

Yvonne Fenner, the outstanding student from the College of Rehabilitation Sciences, spoke with heartfelt appreciation about the many ways her selected teachers supported her. “It wasn’t only the educational part of this journey that she helped me with. Ms. Margaret Hart was there for me on a personal note, as I have called on her many times in the last two years.” Ms. Margaret Hart, a First Nations Indigenous educator in the health sciences, shared that the presence of Indigenous students carries deep personal significance. “I’m there to nurture the students’ learning, but also, I’m there to nurture their identities too”—a sentiment that reflects a commitment not only to academic growth but to personal and cultural growth as well.

Following the ceremony, attendees had a chance to mingle, take photos, and reflect on the meaningful connections that helped shape their journeys.

Faculty of Law student Alessandro Potenza put it best: “I know that we were not uniquely smart, but instead, that we had a uniquely exceptional teacher.” A sentiment echoed by many—while talent may open the door, it’s great educators who help students walk through it.

For a full list of award recipients, please visit our webpage.

Growing up in an unsafe environment shaped by historical and generational trauma, Angela faced adversity that could have easily derailed her dreams. She later experienced a health care crisis and a violent assault—both stemming from institutional systems that have long dehumanized Indigenous Peoples. Rather than let these experiences hold her back, Angela found purpose in them. 

Angela shared with the Canadian Nurses Foundation, “I set my sights on nursing school and challenged myself to learn what it takes to make fundamental changes that will elevate the lives of Indigenous people out of the toxic stress, and destructive physical impacts of Colonial trauma and violence, thus relieving many from chronic diseases.” 

At St John’s College, Angela found her safe space while pursuing her dreams of becoming a Nurse. 

“SJC provided a place of community and acceptance for me. Regardless of background, I often found gentle spirits with welcoming smiles. It was a safe place to join other students who were also degree-driven and striving to better ourselves and our communities.” 

The support from St John’s College became even more critical during challenging moments. When experiencing lateral violence during one school year, Angela found refuge in an SJC study carrel. “It became my safe haven and helped ensure my grades didn’t slip from the added stress.” 

Through it all, Angela remained a serious, committed student. But it was the approachability and accessibility of SJC’s support staff that helped her push through the most difficult times. Daily Bread Café, she recalls, became a comforting place to recharge during summer research at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation or between classes. “SJC took care of its students by providing a discount at Daily Bread,” she adds with appreciation. 

Angela was also a recipient of the Alfred H. Shephard Bursary, which played a pivotal role in helping her balance school, life, and motherhood. 

“I did my senior practicum in isolated communities up north. I couldn’t come home for three months. The bursary allowed me to afford expensive groceries, access streaming services since outdoor activities were unsafe, and take care of my financial responsibilities back home where my young adult son lived. It relieved financial stress, so I could focus on meeting my degree requirements.” 

But perhaps the most lasting impact was the way SJC helped Angela see her own value. 

“Being a SJC member and scholarship recipient helped me to see my worth and value as a student and human being,” she says. “Growing up, I did not have a support network. I lacked confidence growing up—I had to be strong which can be isolating. But at SJC, I was around people who were also doing good work and supporting one another. It felt really good to fit in.” 

Today, Angela stands as a powerful testament to the life-changing impact of community. 

“SJC helped me to believe I was good enough to deserve good things like my Nursing degree. My goals, hopes, and dreams are coming to fruition”  

Want to follow in Angela’s footsteps? 

• St John’s College Scholarships are now open! Applications are due June 1st. Learn more and apply here. 

• Become a St John’s College member 

The experience was part of the Pathway to Indigenous Nursing Education (PINE) program at the UM, collaborating with researcher Dr. Wanda Phillips-Beck and the International Centre (IC), which oversees all international mobility experiences for students. The IC was instrumental in arranging the program, particularly with regards to funding.

At Whitireia, Braun and his peers joined nursing classes, engaged in group discussions, and participated in activities where they could learn from Māori community members. One activity that stands out for Braun was going out on the water in wakas ¬– a type of Māori boat – where they received teachings about traditional ways of navigation and the environment around them. According to Braun, their hosts reciprocated their eagerness to learn:

“Everyone was super nice and welcoming and wanted us there, you know? And very happy to share space and excited to learn from us as much as we were from them, because it’s like new people are pulling up from the other side of the world, like, ‘what are you guys up to?’”

The experience also exposed Braun to new innovations in nursing that resonated with his values in community-based healthcare. In particular, he recalls how their use of take-home medical testing alternatives to in-clinic care responded to some community members’ distrust of the mainstream healthcare system. “That was one important day for me,” he remembers, elaborating that this kind of practise supports are a “way of fighting for health equity” that he is passionate about.

However, community health and equity were not always Braun’s focus. Rather, he attributes his interest to his education at UM and the broadened perspective he has gained thought it over the past few years. Before university, he was unsure of what to pursue but followed his people-oriented nature and desire to help. Braun recalls learning through his practicum:

“… You work with the public, and you’re like, ‘oh, these are all of the different lives that are possible,’ and I am now aware of it, and I’m now working with these people, and I am now part of and privy to their pain … It changed my values a lot throughout three years of nursing school, for sure.”

Now, he is invested in working on upstream change in community health, mitigating risk factors and responding to community needs before they turn into crises. Travelling to New Zealand to discover a new world of possibilities in community health approaches was the perfect cap to those years of learning. Since completing the nursing program, he is taking those insights with him into his career. Looking to the future, Braun sees himself “continue to be driven by that want for health equity and working with other people that have the same vision and passion for it.”

Braun also learned a bit about himself along the way. Embarking on such a major excursion made him realise how much he values the company of others and sharing experiences like this with them. He recalls, “my values had kind of shifted,” as he replaced a more individualistic outlook by realizing “people are kind of my main priority.” Furthermore, this experience spurred him to begin considering new potential directions for his career:

“One other thing that came from the trip is I had never considered a masters [degree] before, and after working and seeing what a nursing researcher does … it seems like if I want to work for bigger systemic changes, then that’s a route I would have to go down … and that’s something that was like 100% off the table prior to the trip.”

Ultimately, whether looking internally or externally, to the past or to the future, going to New Zealand as part of the PINE program was hugely impactful for Braun. In his words, the experience made him “reflect on a lot about my Indigenous identity, where I come from, where I see myself going, and my place in nursing as an Indigenous nurse.”

If you are interested in incorporating this kind of immersive learning experience into your degree, look no further than the International Centre. Their mobility team is singularly focused on connecting students with global experiences, supporting them along the way, and ensuring they are accessible to all.

“Even if I was reluctant at first, over the 21 years I had been working in nursing, I had fallen in love with the profession and so it only made sense for me to pursue my master’s degree,” said Van Haute. “Out of all the mainstream health professions, to me, nursing offers the most holistic patient-centred and family-centred lens on how to care for people and how to design and plan health systems and that’s what I’m really interested in.”

Having completed her master’s, she jokes that she is now in nursing school for the fifth time as she works to complete her PhD. Her research, concentrated in Churchill, Manitoba, focuses on incorporating Indigenous ways of knowing to guide health systems planning, including the use of traditional healing practices into the health system. Her project, tied directly to truth and reconciliation, asks what it means to privilege Indigenous ways of knowing and doing alongside more mainstream health services.

“The goal is to bring together Indigenous community members, Knowledge Keepers, and health facility staff to have conversations around where we’ve been, where are we now, and where we want to go in the future. By creating spaces for dialogue on how to bring together different and sometimes opposing worldview, we can find a way to move forward collectively. Then [we will] hopefully apply these learnings across Canada, but especially to the larger part of the health system here in Manitoba,” she said.

Van Haute wanted to pursue a PhD because she saw it as an opportunity to promote Indigenous health equity, an area of study she’s passionate about. Wanting to honour that with as much time and space as possible, and recognizing the intense mental focus and concentration completing a PhD requires, she applied for and received the 2023-24 Indigenous Doctoral Program Fellowship and the 2023-24 Foundation for Registered Nurses of Manitoba Inc. Graduate Scholarship and Award.

“I am so grateful to receive these awards because they’ve allowed me to carve out some time to give myself and others the gift of doing my dissertation work in a good way,” she said. “Throughout my academic career, I have always worked close to full-time while also being a full-time student. My goal for when I completed my coursework for my PhD program was not to work so that I could devote my time to my research and to the community of Churchill.”

Another reason Van Haute wanted to pursue a PhD is because she knows that social advancements rooted in political activism also require support from structures such as academia to bring meaningful and systemic change. This research is a great example of that because it allows for the centering of the voices of Indigenous community members working alongside Indigenous and non-Indigenous clinicians and health leaders, who may have previously not been able to influence changes to the health system. By using her own and others’ lived experience, she can uncover where the health system’s priorities have conflicted with the community’s and support the community to move forward together.

“While I’m truly grateful and feel honoured for the scholarships and fellowships I’ve received, I believe this funding is about so much more than just me,” she said. “Scholarships, like I’ve received, are about supporting students that are going to be carrying this forward for the next generation. In turn, they will pass it on again, hopefully toward the advancement of society as a whole.”

As a Métis woman from the Red River Métis settlement here in Treaty 1 Territory, Van Haute is also thankful for the opportunity to connect with her Indigenous community.

“I’m learning how beautiful reclamation of culture and reclamation of ceremony can be and what that can mean for people in the community,” she said. “Coming out of Africa, working in famine, working with war zones, I was carrying a large amount of vicarious trauma and not realizing the impact it was having on me. I wasn’t born in culture, so when I started healing and connecting to my culture through my ceremony family, it shifted the way I understood things and brought together my nursing experience with traditional health and healing practices.”

Ten of the 12 announced have UM connections, including six UM alumni, The Honourable Murray Sinclair (Mizana Gheezik), CC, MSC [LLB/79, LLD/02], Dr. Brent Roussin [BSc/96, MD/00, JD/09, MPH/11], Dr. Marcia Anderson [MD/02], Ronald (Ron) Paley [BMus/71], Michel D. Lagacé [BA/64, MA/68], and Dr. Connie Walker [BN/85, MBA/94] and four individuals who are friends of the University of Manitoba, David Johnston, CM, Robert (Bob) Williams, James Cohen, and Myrna Driedger. 

Many of these names will be familiar to the UM community, perhaps especially The Honourable Mr. Sinclair who served as an Elder-in-Residence in UM’s Faculty of Law and Dr. Marcia Anderson who is currently serving as vice-dean Indigenous health, social justice and anti-racism in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences. 

“The accomplishments of the women and men who will receive the 2024 Order of Manitoba exemplifies their commitment to the community at the local, national and international levels,” said Lt.-Gov. Anita R. Neville, chancellor of the order, who will preside over the ceremony. “The impact of their leadership has made a unique mark on this province and its people with achievements that both impress and inspire.” 

The Order of Manitoba was established in 1999 to honour Manitobans who have demonstrated excellence and achievement, thereby enriching the social, cultural or economic well-being of the province and its residents. 

The formal investiture ceremony is scheduled to be held on Thursday, July 11, 2024, at the Manitoba Legislative Building. 

The full list of recipients and their citations can be viewed here. 

During our recent conversation, Raihanah (currently a fourth-year psychology student) spoke of finding a home in the residence community both as she’s worked towards her academic degree and during her three years as a Don. As she’s found her voice and become part of the community, she’s experienced the residence as a place where she could try new things and build life-long friendships. 

“The college residence has allowed me to step outside my comfort zone and build leadership and community skills. I was nervous yet excited about what it offered when I walked into the college. From the benefits students receive at the residence, like the delicious Daily Bread Café food, accessibility to events and academic help, it’s an accessible accommodation for all students.” 

Living at St John’s college residence offers students more than just a place to live. Students are welcomed into the community through events, connections with staff, and the following benefits that come with your stay:   

• Weekly meal plan from the Daily Bread Café, including snacks on Sunday night and during exam periods 
• Affordable laundry services   
• Student council opportunities to build professional development   
• Access to monthly events planned by the student residence council   
• Access to St John’s college services, including St John’s library, Daily Bread Café, lockers, college classrooms, and Chapel and Chaplaincy services.   
• Dedicated lounge 
• Housekeeping services include cleaning, vacuuming, dusting, and garbage removal.   

Whether you’re an international or domestic student, everyone is welcome to St John’s college residence. In hosting students from all over the world, we are a diverse community that looks to bring people together to build community.   

For residence rates and information, click here to visit our website.   

To submit your application and join our residence, click here to apply!   

For more information about our residence, contact Matthew Bowman, Dean of Residence.   

These scholarships and bursaries are given out yearly to college members who join St John’s College. Each year, we hand out $200,000 worth of scholarships to students given generously by our donors some of whom joined us on Sunday, November 5th, at our Annual Luncheon.  

Following the convocation ceremony in the Chapel, we met a few of this year’s scholarship recipients to discuss what these recognitions mean to them.   

Karis Park – Dr. June Marion James Bursary  

The third Faculty of Science student has had a love for science since back in high school. Since then, she has pushed herself to follow her passion as she works towards getting into medicine. After taking the MCAT this past summer, Karis is awaiting her results as she hopes to pursue her medicine dreams next fall using this Bursary from the College.   

“I’ve been a part of the College since my second year, and it’s been a great experience. Finding a community here and having scholarship opportunities like this is beneficial. It’s rewarding to know that my hard work is paying off, and I hope to continue with medicine next year if everything goes to plan.”   

Karis would like to thank her family, friends, and the College for their support.   

Congratulations, Karis! 

Abby Vovchuk – Hoskins Scholarship  

When you think of SJCSA, Abby is one of the first names you will hear. As the former Senior Stick, Abby is no stranger to the College community and has been around all areas of the College since 2021. She joined during the global pandemic when she needed a sense of belonging to help her get through her university experience. The fifth-year science student is in the process of finishing her final year of studies as she continues to work on her thesis, which she hopes to complete in the next year.  

“This scholarship is awarded to students in the Faculty of Science with a high ranking in calculus, so it’s validating to know that I’m on the right path, doing the right thing, and pursuing my passion.”   

Abby would like to thank the College, parents, friends, and family for supporting and encouraging her academic journey.   

Congratulations, Abby! 

Catherine van Reenan – Colin Inkster Memorial Award  

Studying in the Religion department and working towards her Ph.D, Catherine has utilized the College experience, like the study carrels, to help her pursue her studies. In her third year of her PhD, Catherine loves being a part of a community within the larger campus where she connects with colleagues, enjoys the daily Bread Café, and builds a network with other academics.   

“It’s a wonderful accomplishment and honour. People who wrote for me gave me validation that I’m meant to go for my Ph.D. and pursue my academic dreams. This scholarship will help me travel to Komagan for a conference I will be attending that is a niche in my field of study. I’m very excited because I get to learn from some inspiring people and professionals I’ve looked up to my whole life.”   

Catherine would like to thank her committee for supporting her throughout her academic journey who also inspired her to pursue her PhD.  

Congratulations, Catherine!   

Doris Goubran – R. Kelly McGinnis Memorial Scholarship  

A motivated Health Sciences student, Doris Goubran is on her way to big things as she enters the Max Rady College of Medicine. Learning about the College from St. John’s Ravenscourt, Doris has enjoyed her experience with its warm and comforting environment. Doris credits the Study Carrels as an excellent place to study for her MCAT and other courses. In winning the scholarship for her future career, here is what she had to say.   

“I plan on using this scholarship for my academic journey into medicine. It encouraged me to believe that I belong in medicine and my path in school. When you first apply to medicine, it’s super nerve-racking and intimating, and winning this scholarship proved that I can do it.”   

Doris would like to thank the College and its donors for this recognition and her family and friends for always supporting her in her studies.   

Congratulations, Doris!   

Meghann Robern – Arthur Uniacke Chipman Graduate Scholarship  

The road has been challenging for Meghann in the last year. It’s been an uphill battle after being hospitalized last November and starting a new academic journey, but Meghann wouldn’t want it any other way. In being a part of past former College member, Meghann knew she needed a community within the campus to feel comforted, welcomed, and a sense of home; St John’s College quickly became her place. “The level of connection in the community that combines with my values and rituals is what I appreciate the most,” said Meghann. As she continues her Ph.D. journey in the Department of English, Media, and Flim, Meghann feels a sense of validation after her scholarship recognition.   

“It’s validating knowing I can still do this after being out of school for ten years. In a year of so much change, and I was trying so hard to find my footing, my belonging in the community while still living within my values, it was a sense of my hard work being recognized.”  

Meaghann would like to thank her wife and two kids, who have supported her endlessly.   

Sharaina Cottick – Jocelyn & Warren Barnard Scholarship  

Embracing the whole College experience as much as she can, Sharaina has taken full advantage of the college experience, positively impacting her university experience. The fourth-year accounting student from the Asper School of Business is the former Vice-Stick and now Co-Communications Director of SJCSA, where she built the council from the ground up alongside Abby Vovchuk. Finishing up the Asper School of Business in the fall, Sharaina is excited to start her career in the College as the Assistant Bursar in the General Office in the new year following school. After graduation, Sharaina also plans to return to school soon to complete her CPA.   

“This scholarship means a lot because it is only given to accounting majors. Sitting with and learning about Jocelyn and Warren, who funded this award on Sunday, was even more special. It recognizes the hard work that I’ve done and accomplished over the years.”  

Sharaina would like to thank the College for this opportunity, Jocelyn and Warren for the support, and her family.   

Congratulations, Sharaina!  

St John’s College is proud to recognize all of our 2022/23 graduates and scholarship recipients this year.   

Click here to learn more about our scholarship and bursary opportunities. 

All UM Students are eligible to apply for scholarships and bursaries, once they have become a member of St John’s College.

Watch here

Author David Robertson and palliative care researcher Dr. Linda J. Kristjanson will be recognized for their distinguished achievements in the arts and scholarship.

Discover their impact and watch them address the graduates at each of their ceremonies as they receive UM’s highest honour, beginning on Oct. 17.

Dr. Linda J. Kristjanson
BN, MN (Manitoba), PhD (Arizona), AO
Tuesday, October 17, 2023, 3:00 p.m.

Dr. Linda Kristjanson has taught us how to have the most difficult conversations, and how to compassionately care for patients and their families facing grim certainties.

Every day, her impact is felt around the world. It began in 1991 when her dissertation exposed the challenges people face when dealing with palliative care. She uncovered the questions and concerns families had but couldn’t bring themselves to ask or say. She illuminated a new field of query and went on to improve palliative care for all.

The University of Manitoba spotted the enormity of her talent early on. In 1993 it recognized her with the University of Manitoba Winnipeg Rh Institute Foundation Rh award, which is given to early-career researchers showing exceptional promise.

Today, Dr. Kristjanson is considered a pioneer in the field of palliative care, celebrated for the vast contributions she has made. In 2012, for instance, she received the Bethlehem Griffith Research Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. She has also received the Canadian Nurses Foundation Ross Award for Nursing Leadership in Research, and was named the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada’s Balfour Mount Professorship in Palliative Medicine, as well as Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering, and an Officer of the Order of Australia.

Dr. Kristjanson is one of the most highly cited researchers in her field and she has procured more than 110 grants totaling more than $30 million dollars from organizations in Canada, the USA and Australia. This is an outstanding sum matched by few other nursing research scientists.

She is a gifted collaborator, having published with 150 different authors across a number of countries, including at her first alma mater where she has an ongoing relationship with UM’s Manitoba Palliative Care Research Unit.

Indeed, her connection to this university has remained strong throughout her career. Before leaving Canada in 1997 to build a program in palliative care at Edith Cowan University in Australia, she served as the co-director of the Cancer Nursing Research Centre at UM.

She left her mark on generations of palliative care nurse researchers in Manitoba and across Australia where she has led and taught for many years. She has done the same on the global stage too, through her involvement with 47 boards and committees, including the International Palliative Care Society, which she founded.

The University of Manitoba is proud to award a Doctor of Science, honoris causa, to professor Linda Kristjanson for her distinguished achievement as a scholar, leader, and a humanitarian who has improved health care everywhere.

David A. Robertson
BA (Winnipeg)
Thursday, October 19, 2023, 3:00 p.m.

David Alexander Robertson is a voice for a new generation, one that smites the stigma of mental illness and unveils truths so that Reconciliation can follow.

As a Cree boy going to school in Winnipeg, Mr. Robertson felt disconnected from his heritage, partly because his school did not teach about Indigenous cultures and histories. But he also found that textbooks on these (or any) matters were uninviting and vapid, unlike comics, which captivated him. Thinking that other children may also be disconnected from their history and textbooks like he was, he began writing graphic novels that not only enthrall, but teach. He firmly believes that understanding Indigenous cultures and Indigenous peoples’ place within Canadian history is imperative for all Canadians.

Today, having written more than 25 books, some of which are now widely used in classrooms across the country, he has brought Indigenous characters and voices into curriculum that for too long had excluded them. His book When We Were Alone, was recognized with many awards, including the 2017 Governor General’s Literary Award, and his other works, like The Misewa Saga series, have been a hit with young readers.

Mr. Robertson’s voice is an important one that is helping to spark change. His novels delve into issues of identity, family, connection, and relationships. They offer an open and frank examination of colonialism’s ongoing impact as well as systemic and overt racism.

He also weaves themes of mental health into his writing and his public speaking, providing people with a foundation to understand mental health struggles and see that speaking about it is as normal as talking about having the flu.

His books are nationally known and critically acclaimed, winning numerous awards. Indeed, Mr. Robertson’s memoir Black Water: Family, Legacy and Blood Memory earned the 2020 Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award, won the Alexander Kennedy Isbister award for non-fiction, and was named Book of the Year by the Globe and Mail and Quill & Quire. He also received the 2021 Writers’ Union of Canada Freedom to Read Award.

Mr. Robertson asks people of all ages to think, to understand, to imagine, and to help build a better society. The University of Manitoba shares this vision. For his outstanding contributions in the arts and distinguished achievements, the University of Manitoba is proud to award a Doctor of Letters, honoris causa, to David Alexander Robertson.

Each health region in the province, except Winnipeg, has experienced that increase last year in connection to private health agencies. This is according to data from Shared Health, obtained by 680 CJOB, which points to increased spending on agency nursing expenses by the Government of Manitoba.

For Sonia Udod, associated professor of nursing at the University of Manitoba, the trend of increasing costs isn’t surprising. With nurses feeling overworked and exhausted, she said many are transitioning to the agency system and away from full-time paid work — all to take control over their own work.

Read/Watch here