Barrie resident wins prestigious Lakehead University scholarship
Lakehead University student David French (r) of Barrie, shown here with Lakehead Orillia’s Paul Weber, will graduate with an Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree at Lakehead Orillia’s Convocation ceremony in Orillia this Saturday (June 8). French is also the first recipient of Lakehead Orillia’s new President’s Golf Tournament Business Award.
June 6, 2013 – Orillia, ON
Barrie resident wins prestigious Lakehead University scholarship
Four years ago, David French, a successful automotive sales professional in Barrie, decided to make a drastic change to his life. After 15 years in the business, he was looking for a new challenge and left his career to become a full-time student.
Now, French is not only about to graduate with an Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree with first class standing (over 80% average) from Lakehead University, he is the first recipient of Lakehead Orillia’s President’s Golf Tournament Business Award. The $5,000 Award was initiated last year as a result of funds raised through the University’s highly successful golf tournament, held annually at the Barrie County Club.
“Our new business award represents a commitment from the business community to support the business faculty at Lakehead Orillia and encourage students to pursue their education and career goals,” said Lakehead President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Brian Stevenson.
“Members of the golf tournament organizing committee are business people and are proud to be supporting someone who has excelled in the business program at Lakehead,” added Paul Weber, Community Relations Manager at Lakehead Orillia.
When French enrolled at Lakehead, he wasn’t sure if he would be successful and was apprehensive about going back to school as a mature student, so his achievements have surpassed even his expectations.
“After spending years in automotive retail, doing everything from sales to management, I was ready for a change and knew I would need to upgrade my credentials to open up new opportunities,” said French.
While in the car business, French realized that coaching and training staff were what he enjoyed the most about his work, so he considered becoming a high school teacher and discovered the Education program at Lakehead in Orillia.
“Lakehead offered everything I was looking for in post-secondary education,” said French. With a young family – French and his wife have two children, aged 8 and 13 – the University was close to home; had the program he was looking for; and was small, offering an environment that may not be as intimidating as a larger university. “I was worried that I might become lost in large lecture halls, so the idea of one-on-one opportunities with professors was very attractive.”
During his first two years of study, French was exposed to the interdisciplinary arts and science program, eventually leading him back to his familiar business territory. He transferred into the Honours Bachelor of Commerce program, and was impressed by both the wide range of business skills covered within the program and the insight provided by his professors. “We got to know all of our profs on a first-name basis and were always able to ask questions and get the answers we needed.”
“The best way for students to learn is by getting involved, and David did a great job of getting involved,” said Dr. Jo-Anne Ryan, chair of Lakehead Orillia’s business program. “His interest in the subject matter and commitment to learning helped inspire many dynamic discussions among the entire student group.”
Now armed with his degree, including a minor in Geography, and research experience in sustainability and economic development, French said that he is looking forward to taking the next step toward a new career. French said he would love to find a position that combined his practical business background with his new skills in organizational strategy to help a business operate in a more effective and sustainable way, ultimately improving its bottom line.
French will receive his degree at Lakehead Orillia’s convocation ceremony on June 8. He is looking forward to celebrating his success, along with the opportunities and challenges that are sure to follow.
“The last four years have been an amazing experience,” said French. “Lakehead has a great learning culture. Although it was a lot of hard work, I feel like I got tremendous value. You have an opportunity here to learn as much as you can, which is what I did.”
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Media: For more information, please contact Lakehead University’s Communications Officer, Kathy Hunt, at 705-330-4008 ext. 2014 orkjhunt3@lakeheadu.ca.
Lakehead University is a comprehensive university with a reputation for a multidisciplinary teaching approach that emphasizes collaborative learning and independent critical thinking. Over 8,700 students and 1,850 faculty and staff learn and work at campuses located in Orillia, and Thunder Bay, Ontario, which is home to the west campus of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. Lakehead University promotes innovative research that supports local and regional socio-economic needs. In Orillia, development continues on building a campus that meets Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) standards. For more information about Lakehead University, visit www.lakeheadu.ca.