The UNB Saint John Graduating Student Leadership Awards recognize students who have made outstanding voluntary extracurricular contributions to their academic program/department, or to UNB Saint John as a whole.
The awards program was created in 2005 by the UNB Associated Alumni to acknowledge and encourage student participation in university affairs. More than 350 alumni are now members of this exclusive group of ‘UNB Saint John Graduating Student Leaders'.
Blake Allen has a passion for helping others and is a strong advocate for UNB. He has volunteered as an orientation leader, as a mentor with The Promise Partnership, and as a founding member of the Discovery Summer Camp Program, organizing learning experiences for school-aged children. During his term as vice president student life for the SRC, Blake organized a number of student events and introduced the GooseChase initiative to campus.
Jane Campbell is a leader on campus and in the sports community. In addition to being a member of the Seawolves women’s volleyball team, Jane has given back her time as a Wolfpack volleyball coach, as the team representative on the Student Athletic Advisory Committee and as a volunteer assisting with recruiting student athletes. Outside of her love for sports, Jane served on the UNB Sexual Assault Policy Review Committee making resources more accessible to students on campus.
Bertha Debly is a four-year field hockey team athlete, a member of the Women in Business Society and an outstanding leader in the campus community. Her current role as vice president of student life with the SRC has given her opportunities to organize, manage and execute a variety of social and educational events, helping to enhance student life at UNB Saint John.
Carson Dorcas is a four-year student athlete on the Seawolves men’s volleyball team. During his athletic and academic career at UNB Saint John, he’s shown leadership and volunteerism as a team representative with the Student Athletic Advisory Committee, as a camp coach with Wolfpack youth volleyball, and through various extracurricular activities in the community.
Mary Gayle is a compassionate and dedicated student within the residence community, along with her volunteer efforts on and off campus. Through her work with the Summer Hotel and as a residence assistant, Mary has been a strong advocate for UNB and UNB students. She is also a member of the Golden Key International Honours Society and has served as a volunteer executive on the African Caribbean Society.
Amal Koshy George has given back his time to several initiatives on campus. A dedicated volunteer, he has worked to help others and enhance the student experience through his executive and volunteer roles with the Psych Society, The Promise Partnership, the UNBSJ Chess club, the Golden Key Society, Jack.Org, the Green Society and more.
Emma Higdon has dedicated significant time and effort as a volunteer with The Promise Partnership, the Golden Key Society, and the Learning Communities program. She has also served as an orientation leader, as a teacher’s assistant in her faculty, and as council chair with the SRC, along with representing graduating students as the grad class coordinator for 2022-23.
Tarandeep Kaur has been a dedicated leader within her nursing faculty, across campus and in the community. As an advocate for mental health and food insecurity issues, Tarandeep is passionate about volunteering her time with The Promise Partnership, Jack.Org, UNBSJ Global Brigades and as current vice president of the Nursing Society.
Clara Kelly is a leader in her faculty, currently serving of president of the Nursing Society and formerly as the nursing and health sciences representative with the SRC. Outside the classroom and clinical studies, she dedicates her time as team manager for the Seawolves women’s volleyball team, and as a volunteer in the local community.
Faseeh Khalil has been deeply engaged in the student community. He founded and served as president for the Muslim Student Association, representing and advocating for the interests of Muslim students. Faseeh’s skills also led him to be elected to a number of executive leadership roles, including international student representative, vice president external, and later interim president for the SRC, with which he also currently serves as primary delegate for the NBSA and CASA.
Karlie Kotsabasakis is an active and engaged volunteer in her faculty, helping to represent other nursing students. As current treasurer for the UNB Nursing Society, Karlie has organized various events and activities in support of the faculty, including fundraising money toward a scholarship for a future UNB nursing student.
Adam Lambert is a four-year student athlete on the Seawolves men’s basketball team, and throughout his time at UNB he’s been an advocate for athletics. He’s served as a member of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee and as the athletics representative for the SRC. Off the court, Adam has also represented the student body as former SRC vice president external, and has volunteered to support The Promise Partnership.
Ashley Legacy is passionate about student life on campus. Throughout her five years at UNB Saint John, she has been a proud orientation week leader, peer note taker, residence assistant, tutor, and a writer for The Baron. In addition, she has served in leadership roles as president of the Golden Key Honours Society, first year advisor with the SRC, and as public relations director and co-founder of the Education Society.
Emma Lynch completed four years as a student athlete on the Seawolves women’s volleyball team and has volunteered in her capacity as an athlete for several initiatives, such as Think Pink Day, Bell Let’s Talk, Run for the Cure and Wolfpack youth volleyball. As a Bachelor of Health student, Emma has also worked to help develop UNB’s new Health Plus certificate program.
Haley McGaw has made a significant impact in many corners of the campus community. With a passion for helping others, Haley has served as a mentor, tutor and assistant coordinator with The Promise Partnership, as an orientation volunteer, SRC events committee member and formerly as the first-year representative on the Residence Council.
Hannah Oh is an outstanding biology-psychology student and a member of the Seawolves women’s soccer team. During her athletic career, she served as the community outreach coordinator on the Student Athletic Advisory Committee, representing UNB athletes. In addition to her involvement on campus, Hannah is also heavily engaged in the local music community.
Tanya Paterson has held various leadership roles on and off campus, including serving as the mature student representative for the SRC and as co-founder and president of the Education Society. She has also given back her time as a volunteer with the Learning Communities program, the Promise Partnership, SOAR and orientation.
Amelia Puñales is an advocate for inclusivity, networking and learning opportunities for students. As current vice president of the Women in Business Society, she works to create collaborative networking events, conferences, and workshops. In addition to her leadership in the faculty of business, Amelia also serves as director of public relations with the Golden Key International Honours Society, and as a member of both UNB’s Green Society and the Equity Diversity and Inclusion Committee.
Mattye Robson has played for the Seawolves women’s volleyball team for her entire four-year career at UNB and has served as captain of the team for two consecutive years. Passionate about athletics, she’s the vice president of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee, organizing various events and fundraisers that have helped to create a positive community of student athletes.
Orianna Ross contributes her time at UNB Saint John to enhance the student experience and help students feel prepared for the workforce. As the conference coordinator for the Women in Business Society, Orianna has organized a range of networking events and conferences creating opportunities for students to engage with UNB alum and business professionals. She was also a former athlete on the Seawolves women’s soccer team.
Jillian Smith is a leader on and off the field. As captain of the Seawolves women’s soccer team, she has been a dedicated athlete and a mentor to her teammates. Jillian currently serves as the arts representative on the Students’ Representative Council and has previously volunteered as a mentor with The Promise Partnership and with grad class activities.
