Celebrating excellence at King's Convocation

As part of Spring Convocation, the academic achievements of all members of the King’s community, both students and faculty, were celebrated.

King’s is proud of the hard work and dedication displayed by those students who were recipients of the 2024-2025 Board of Directors’ Gold Medal Awards. These prestigious awards recognize the top graduates in each academic category for their exceptional academic performance in their final year. 

• Four-Year (Honours) Bachelor of Arts - Honours Specialization Social Science: Connor Colquhoun, Honours Specialization Financial Economics
• Four-Year (Honours) Bachelor of Arts - Honours Double Major Social Science: Olivia Kroll, Honours Double Major in Politics and International Relations and French
• Four-Year (Honours) Bachelor of Arts - Honours Double Major Humanities: Emma Ross, Honours Double Major in French and Human Rights Studies
• Four-Year (Honours) Bachelor of Arts - Honours Specialization Interdisciplinary Programs: Tyra Cadogan Honours Specialization in Social Justice and Peace Studies and Minor in Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies
• Four-Year (Honours) Bachelor of Management and Organizational Studies - Honours Specialization: Cole Fletcher, Honours Specialization in Finance and Administration
• Four-Year (Honours) Bachelor of Arts - Honours Specialization Humanities: Catherine Allison, Honours Specialization in French
• Four-Year Bachelor of Management and Organizational Studies – Specialization: Mohamed Sheikh, Finance and Administration Specialization
• Four-Year (Honours) Bachelor of Social Work - Honours Specialization Social Work: Teresa Friesen, Honours Specialization in Social Work
• Four-Year Bachelor of Arts – Major: Nicole Stelmachuk, Sociology
• Four-Year (Honours) Bachelor of Arts - Honours Double Major Interdisciplinary Programs: Taryn Soper, Honours Double Major in Childhood and Youth Studies and Politics and International Relations
• Three-Year Bachelor of Arts – Major: Giuseppe Njualem, 3 year BA Cross -Disciplinary Degree The Duality of Freedom in Psychology and Philosophy
• Four-Year (Honours) Bachelor of Management and Organizational Studies - Honours Double Major: Taya Pandur, Honours Double Major in Organizational and Human Resources and Sociology
• Four-Year Bachelor of Arts – Specialization: Yuhe Chen, Specialization in Psychology

The recipients of the awards all expressed how honoured they were to achieve the Gold Medals and spoke of the important role that their community, including faculty, family and friends, played in their accomplishments. All felt grateful to be recognized for their hard work and dedication over their time at King’s. 

Receiving the award, “makes me feel as though my hard work and commitment over the last few years have paid off,” says Cole Fletcher. He will be returning to RBC Dominion Securities, where he interned during the summer of 2024. “My time at King’s and the School of Management, Economics, and Mathematics (MEM) has been nothing short of amazing. The faculty provided me with both continuous support throughout my degree and a fantastic education that allowed me to grow as a student while also helping me prepare for my professional life.”

Teresa Friesen says she is “forever grateful to my peers and professors who encouraged me to dream big and to pursue my goals.” She will be continuing her studies in the fall, working towards her Juris Doctor degree at the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law in Thunder Bay. 

“During my two years of study at King's, I met some incredible people and grew as an individual personally and professionally. I appreciated King's small campus and class sizes, which provided an opportunity for students to get to know their peers and professors on a deeper level,” she says.

Giuseppe Njualem says while he is receiving the award, “King’s is really the star of the event, because it is a great campus and community to be and study in! My time at King’s has been transformative—academically, spiritually, and personally. The community here fosters both critical thought and compassionate engagement, and I’m grateful for every moment.”

Emma Ross, en route to a master's program in public policy at Carleton, says the recognition encourages her to “keep striving for excellence and to continue learning and growing as I move forward in my academic career. King's is an incredible community that fosters collaboration and continually supports students in striving for excellence.”

Conno Colquhoun, who will be entering the master’s of economics program at the University of Toronto, on August, says his time at King’s was “defined by the inspiring mentorship of its professors, who challenged me to grow both academically and personally, shaping the foundation for my future.”

Seven graduating students achieved King’s Scholar status. The King’s Scholar program is designed for intellectually curious students to gain a deeper understanding of the historical, cultural, and political context of 21st-century global dynamics. The program features an integrated and interdisciplinary approach that engages students in experiential study of the ideas, cultures, structures and events that shape our world. King’s Scholar students may earn an extra, recognized designation of academic achievement and excellence for their Western transcript.

The students graduating with King’s Scholar status are:

• Victoria Acres, Psychology
• Meghan Faulkner, Psychology
• Nathan Hoar, English and Philosophy
• Genevieve Lanoue, English Language and Literature
• Ian McKenzie, History
• Imran Siddiqui, BMOS and Global Commerce, Economics
• Peter Curtis Stanski, Philosophy and Human Rights

Friesen also said that she was “forever grateful to her professors who encouraged me to dream big and pursue my goals.” And thus, Convocation was also an opportunity to celebrate King’s faculty.

Dr. Claudia Clausius, Associate Professor of English, and Dr. Lucas Andersen, part-time faculty member in the School of Social Work, are the recipients of the 2025 King's Awards of Excellence in Teaching. Dr. Clausius was recognized for full-time faculty and Dr. Andersen was recognized for part-time faculty. Drs. Clausius and Andersen were selected by a committee of students, faculty and staff who reviewed dozens of nominations from the King’s community.

These members of the King’s faculty who recently retired were recognized for their service to King’s.

• Dr. Cathy Chovaz of the Psychology department has retired after 16 years and received Professor Emerita status.  
• Dr. Claudia Clausius of the English, French and Writing department has retired after 26 years and received Professor Emerita status.  
• Dr. Rick Csiernik of the School of Social Work has retired after 28 years and received Professor Emeritus status.
• Dr. Jonathan Geen of the Religious Studies department has retired after 18 years and received Professor Emeritus status.
• Dr. Darcy Harris of the Thanatology department has retired after 22 years and received Professor Emerita status.  
• Dr. Paul Werstine, ’70, of the English, French and Writing department has retired after 49 years and received Professor Emeritus status.
• Linda Whidden, ’79, Academic Librarian, has retired after 39 years and received Librarian Emerita status.

Congratulations to all of the members of the King’s community who were honoured at our Spring Convocation.