Lakehead Student Leader Recognized by NODA
(May 15, 2008, Thunder Bay, ON) Lakehead University is pleased to announce that the orientation-related efforts of Student Leader David Grad have been recognized by the National Orientation Directors Association (NODA).
David's orientation contributions were recognized at a recent NODA conference held at the University of Waterloo. In the Student Leader from a University with a Four-Year Undergraduate Program category, Mr. Grad was awarded a commemorative plaque and a $100 gift certificate from the Lakehead University Alumni Bookstore. Additionally, his conference registration fee was refunded, and his contributions will be further acknowledged at the National NODA conference, to be held in Boston, MA, in October 2008.
Originally from Sarnia, Ontario, David is currently enrolled in Lakehead's Concurrent Education program with a focus on history and individual and society. Brendan Hughes, Orientation and Commuter Services Officer and David's supervisor, wholeheartedly nominated Grad for the award because of the natural leadership qualities the young man consistently exudes. "He is charismatic, inspiring, and leads by example. He also knows how to delegate while empowering others - which some say is the most difficult and defining attribute of a good leader."
Grad, a people person who does his utmost to make a positive impact on those around him, is an active member of the Lakehead University Student Union (LUSU) Events Committee as well as the University's Student Ambassador Program. "I like knowing that I'm in a position to have a positive influence on the lives of incoming students," Grad explains. "Maybe I can give them an experience they'll remember 20 years from now when they're recounting their Lakehead University experience."
Through the Office of Admissions and Recruitment, Grad began his role as a Student Ambassador in the fall of 2007, when he volunteered to help with orientation programming and execution. "David supported the orientation planning process more than any other volunteer, and logged more than 200 volunteer hours during that time," notes Hughes. Grad has since been hired by Lakehead's Office of Admissions and Recruitment on a part-time basis, and helps with the major undertaking of developing the 2008 Orientation Guidebook.
NODA comprises nine regions across North America. Lakehead University falls in the Region 7 category, which encompasses Ontario, Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan. Through its awards, scholarships, and internship program, NODA encourages excellence in orientation, retention, and transition programming. Awards for outstanding professionals and contributors to the field as well as excellence in publications are presented annually, as are student leaders in each region. For more information about NODA, please visit www.nodaweb.org.
-30-
Media: For additional information or to arrange interviews with David Grad and/or Brendan Hughes, please
contact Heather Scott, Communications Officer, Lakehead University,
807-343-8177, commun@lakeheadu.ca;
or Eleanor Abaya, Director of Communications, Lakehead University,
807-343-8372, eabaya@lakeheadu.ca.
About Lakehead
Lakehead is a comprehensive University with a reputation for
innovative programs and cutting-edge research. With a main campus located in
Thunder Bay, Ontario, and a campus in Orillia, Ontario, Lakehead has over 7, 500
students and 2,000 faculty and staff, and is home to the west campus of the
Northern Ontario School of Medicine. In 2006, Research Infosource Inc. named
Celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2005, the RCA is one of Canada's most enduring cultural institutions. It comprises over 700 established professional artists working in 20 visual arts disciplines across the country, with mediums including painting, sculpture, architecture, design, fine craft, photography, and filmmaking. Only two other northwestern Ontario-based artists have received this honour in the past - Ojibwe painter Norval Morisseau and multi-media artist Sarah Link. Link is a Ceramics instructor in Lakehead's Visual Arts department, and has taught at the University for many years.
The addition of this program to Lakehead's academic roster means further increasing Aboriginal students' access to higher education. "It draws on issues related to Aboriginal education and to working with all children, with emphasis on Aboriginal children," explains Dean of Education Dr. John O'Meara, adding that "extensive consultation was conducted among Aboriginal organizations throughout the region before putting the program in motion."
"This program is designed and delivered primarily by Aboriginal faculty, staff, and administration," says Dr. Ethel Gardner, Chair of Aboriginal Education. "It is structured to provide academic guidance and course content that enable students to achieve success; it offers an atmosphere and support network conducive to successful program completion." The program will also be guided by the Advisory Council for Aboriginal Education (ACAE), and supported by Lakehead University's Aboriginal Management Council (AMC). 
Lakehead's Director of Communications Eleanor Abaya explains, "The idea behind the campaign was to engage our audience in dialogue. The intention was not to imply that Lakehead has the answers to the world's problems, but to suggest that engaging audiences in dialogue is a start to finding potential solutions. Equally important, we also want to reinforce that studying at Lakehead will provide students with the tools and resources necessary to become better informed and better equipped to generate the ideas that could lead to action."