The Alumni Student Leadership Award is presented each year to undergraduate students who have demonstrated outstanding leadership through involvement in extracurricular activities on campus and in their community.
Molly Frenette (BBA)
Molly has worked tirelessly to make a difference in the lives of others, contribute to campus life, and promote student engagement. Throughout her time at UNB, she has held numerous leadership roles with the UNB Student Union, including serving on the selection committee, representing the faculty of management as a councillor, and acting as director of campus events. A dedicated volunteer, she has also given her time as vice-president communications for the Kin Society, the Finance Club, and the UNB Global Brigades. She has also served as a peer mentor in the faculty of management, a role she finds especially rewarding as it allows her to support first-year students in their transition to university and help them make the most of their UNB experience.
Molly says that the most rewarding part of her studies has been pursuing her honours in marketing, which has “given me so many opportunities to gain real-world experience. I’ve completed a marketing internship in a role that has been both meaningful and challenging, allowing me to develop practical skills and contribute to projects I’m proud of.”
Molly’s passion for marketing, particularly event marketing, has been developed through her internship with the UNB Student Union and three summer internships with Irving Oil. Upon graduation in June 2026, she will begin her role as an events coordinator at Irving Oil.
As for what makes her Proudly UNB, “UNB is full of incredible people, from students to faculty and staff. From the very beginning, I’ve felt like this is where I [was] meant to be. Even though my journey has had its twists and turns, the constant support I have received from my advisors, peers, professors, and the programs I’ve been part of has helped me navigate my challenges and grow.”
Islay Hayward (BScF)
Islay has dedicated her time to many corners of the UNB community. In addition to working as a residence assistant and a records assistant in the Development and Donor Relations Office, Islay has served as events coordinator with the LBR House Committee and with the non-profit Girls Supporting Girls, and as a UNB Student Union student experience team member.
Islay is enrolled in the science in environmental management program. She says her love for the environment “started with my grandfather, who worked in forestry for several years and told me stories about how great an experience it was to work in the woods. When I began researching universities, UNB immediately stood out to me.”
The most rewarding part of her studies has been applying her academic knowledge to student life and community engagement. Last February, she founded the UNB Wetlands Conservation Society, a campus chapter of Ducks Unlimited Canada dedicated to wetland conservation, restoration, and education of wetlands in New Brunswick. She also serves as co-president of the Forestry and Environmental Management Undergraduate Society, where she has strengthened bonds with her peers and worked to revive lost traditions like the Bushman’s Ball.
After graduation, Islay would like to work in the environmental non-profit sector, specifically in outdoor education. “[Last] summer, I worked at the Conservation Council of New Brunswick as one of their education and engagement interns. During that time, I taught youth ages 8 to 17 about local plants and animals, and how we can help protect them. Working outside and seeing how excited children were to learn outdoors fostered my appreciation for outdoor education and taught me how valuable it can be to learn outside of a classroom.”
Lily Glazier (BN)
Lily has dedicated her time and energy to supporting fellow students, the faculty of nursing and her community. She has volunteered with UNB’s Centre for Research in Integrated Care, served as a research assistant on gender-based violence, and worked with older adults in the community on injury prevention through the Silver Series program.
Throughout her time on the Fredericton campus, Lily also worked as a peer mentor, a member of the nursing society, and the director of media and communications for the Global Medical Brigades.
Lily’s decision to enrol in UNB’s faculty of nursing was driven by both its purpose and the opportunities it provides. “Following my mother’s illness, I knew I wanted a career where I would be helping people directly in moments that matter, while also advancing evidence-based practice.” She says that UNB offered exactly what she was looking for: comprehensive clinical placements in hospital and community settings, interactive skills labs, and immersive virtual-reality simulations. Alongside these opportunities, she found a supportive community of students, professors, and clinical instructors that allowed her to thrive.
Research has been one of the most rewarding aspects of Lily’s academic journey. She has worked with the Gender-Based Violence Research Team, gaining skills in data cleaning and survey analysis, and collaborated on a project with Drs. Hodgins and Batty that deepened her understanding of evidence-informed practice. “These have been formative, and they would not have been possible without the mentorship and support of UNB’s nursing faculty.”
Once she completes her undergraduate degree, Lily plans to pursue her master’s degree in nursing at UNB.
Matthew Heans (BA)
Matthew is committed to supporting young students and teens in his community and to making a difference on the Saint John campus. Throughout his studies in the faculty of arts, Matthew has served as a literacy instructor with L’Ami Learning Academy and as a tutor at the Teen Resource Centre. Among his volunteer roles on campus, he has served as the food coordinator for the Students’ Representative Council and as a student senator on the UNB Saint John Senate. Matthew says that his passion for advocacy and public speaking, among other things, is what stirs him to stay involved in student life on campus. “They have driven me to pursue diverse opportunities.”
The most rewarding part of Matthew’s time at UNB has been the “chance to come into class every day and sit shoulder to shoulder with like-minded students from diverse backgrounds.” From discussing the implications of Aristotle’s physics for conceptions of space and time to arguing over the merits of John A. Macdonald’s legacy, Matthew says that he has learned a lot from his peers and classmates.
“My friends around campus might say that I stay involved by making a nuisance of myself. Admittedly, there might even be some truth to that. Since enrolling at UNB Saint John in the fall of 2023, I have been a fairly incessant part of the student community. I like to think that I am everywhere at UNB Saint John. Hubris aside. My work on campus has always, at heart, championed my interests and the things I care about.”
As for his plans after graduating from UNB? Matthew plans to attend law school to pursue his juris doctor, with a focus on corporate law and estate planning. He hopes to one day practice in New Brunswick and “would relish the opportunity to return to UNB as either a graduate student or lecturer.”
