Lakehead grads achieve success close to home
Lakehead graduate Leah Catton is congratulated by Lakehead Chancellor, Dr. Derek Burney.
On June 6, Lakehead University’s Orillia campus presented over 300 students with their diplomas and welcomed them into the Lakehead alumni family. Lakehead graduates hail from all across the province and some will be jetting off to places like China and the United Kingdom to embark on their careers. A large number of graduates, though, are from right here in Simcoe County, and chose not only to study close to home, but to work and build their lives here as well. Three recent Simcoe County grads – Leah Catton, Gillian Murch, and Deb Balika – told me about their Lakehead experiences and their plans for the future.
Barrie resident Leah Catton had a very memorable graduation, as she was this year’s Orillia Campus Dean’s Medal winner, which is awarded to the student with the highest overall average in the Honours Bachelor of Arts & Science (HBASc) program.
Catton is no stranger to receiving academic accolades, as she also was a recipient of the prestigious Queen Elizabeth II Aiming for the Top scholarship. While at Lakehead she maintained an average above 90%. Originally enrolled in the HBASc Bachelor of Education (BEd) program, the diagnosis of a health condition caused her to change direction. Due to the limitations she was facing, she switched to Interdisciplinary Studies and opportunities that were more suited to her situation. Thanks to the dedication and enthusiasm of the Lakehead faculty, Catton fell in love with Interdisciplinary Studies and fostered her own passion to pursue graduate studies in social sciences.
Catton was accepted for a Master of Arts program, with an interest in humanitarian studies, at Royal Roads University in British Columbia. She hopes to, one day, work within a community organization in Simcoe County to realize her goal of helping people in vulnerable or disadvantaged circumstances.
“I can’t thank my professors enough for their continuous support and encouragement,” said Catton, when summarizing her Lakehead experience.
Gillian Murch, who was born and raised right here in Orillia, liked the idea of going to a smaller school close to home. A graduate from the Honours Bachelor of Commerce (HBComm) program, she credits Lakehead with giving her the opportunity to engage directly with professors and peers, an experience that really enhanced her learning.
“The Business program at Lakehead offers courses that cover all areas of business and teaches skills that I have already used, just two months into my new job,” said Murch.
She is currently working for Nottawasaga Futures (Community Development Corporation) on an initiative called Skills for the Green Economy. The project aims to identify and bridge the skilled labour shortage in Simcoe County’s green economy.
Murch, who lives with a permanent disability of low-vision, told me just how incredible and vital the Lakehead Accessibility staff were at helping her succeed at Lakehead: “It may just be a day’s work to them, but their work has a huge impact on students like me.”
Mature student and single mom Deb Balika, from Barrie, was looking for a university close to home when she decided to pursue postsecondary studies.
“I liked the idea of small class sizes and the freedom of meaningful discussions that occur in small classroom settings,” said Balika when asked about choosing Lakehead Orillia.
Balika was a member of Lakehead Orillia’s charter class, in the HBASc/BEd program, and went on to become one of the school’s first full-time Master’s students when she enrolled in the Master of Science in Biology program. Balika graduated with her Master’s degree at the 2015 convocation. Balika’s Master’s research focused on the monitoring of inland water qualities and in particular, the study of microalgae and its use as an indicator of water quality.
“Working on this kind of research can get intense, including spending 10-12 hours a day looking into a microscope, but the atmosphere at Lakehead remained fun,” explained Balika.
Balika is excited to be joining Lakehead’s Faculty of Education this September as a contract lecturer teaching the course ‘Science and Technology for Teachers’.
Congratulations to these three exceptional graduates and to all of the 2015 Lakehead graduates, from Simcoe County and beyond.
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Stephanie Edwards is a third year Lakehead University student who works with Lakehead Orillia’s Communications office.