King's celebrates 2022-2023 Board of Directors' gold medal award winners

As part of the Spring 2023 Convocation held on June 21, in which 644 King’s graduates joined our alumni family, King’s was proud to bestow the 2022-2023 Board of Directors’ Gold Medal to 13 recipients in recognition of their hard work and dedication. The Gold Medal Awards are given to the graduate in each category with the highest average in the last year of their module to recognize outstanding academic achievement.

The 2022-2023 Board of Directors’ Gold Medal Award winners are:

Zaahy Ahmad Ali, ’23 Honours Double Major in Social Justice & Peace Studies and Sociology, is the Four Year (Honours) Bachelor of Arts - Honours Double Major Interdisciplinary Programs recipient. 

Ali, from London, will be taking some time to travel before resuming studies and returning to King’s in the fall as a teaching assistant.

“I feel very honoured to receive the gold medal. News about this award came as a very pleasant surprise to me. I am so grateful for all of the support and guidance I've received from the King's community over these past four years,” says Ali.

Hailong Chen, ’23 Specialization in Global Commerce, is the Four Year Bachelor of Management and Organizational Studies - Specialization recipient.

Chen, from Shenzhen, China, will be going to graduate school, having received an offer from the Master of Marketing program at the Schulich School of Business.

“Receiving the Board of Directors’ Gold Medal Award means so much to me. It shows that my hard work and dedication were recognized, and it has motivated me to keep pushing myself to achieve even more,” says Chen.

Samantha Nicole Dixon, ’23 Honours Double Major in English Language & Literature and History is the Four Year (Honours) Bachelor of Arts - Honours Double Major Humanities recipient.

The next step for Dixon, from London, is to get her Bachelor of Education (Intermediate/Senior) at Western University.

“This award serves as validation of all the hard work that I have put into my degree over the last four years, constantly pushing myself to strive for better. It is also a reminder of all those who have helped me thrive. I could not have done so well without a wonderful support system,” says Dixon.

Eden Brooke Jarrett, ’23 Honours Double Major in Accounting and Economics, is the Four Year (Honours) Bachelor of Management and Organizational Studies - Honours Double Major recipient.

Jarrett, from London, is pursuing a Certified Professional Accountant (CPA) designation and is currently enrolled in the Graduate Diploma in Accounting program at Western University.

“I feel very honoured to have been awarded a Board of Directors’ Gold Medal Award. It is thanks to the support of my family, friends and classmates as well as my professors at King's that I am able to receive this recognition. I look forward to the next chapter in my educational journey,” says Jarrett.

Kylie Michelle John, ’23 Major in Disability Studies and Minor in Thanatology, is the Four Year Bachelor of Arts - Major recipient.

John, from London, has secured a full-time job, advocating for people in the community to receive the services they need.

“This award is truly an honour. It demonstrates that my hard work has paid off. I am grateful for the wonderful professors and staff who have assisted me on my education journey.  It reminds me that I was dedicated in my schooling and am now ready to make a difference in the community,” says John.

Ryan Hoh-Wah Lam, ’23 Honours Specialization in Accounting, is the Four Year (Honours) Bachelor of Management and Organizational Studies - Honours Specialization recipient.

Lam, from London, will be pursuing a CPA designation and working for a public accounting firm in September.

“This award is a testament to all the hard work and dedication I have put into my studies at King's over the past years. It is truly an honour to receive this award,” says Lam.

Noah Michael Laskey, ’23 Honours Specialization in Psychology, is the Four Year (Honours) Bachelor of Arts - Honours Specialization Social Science recipient.

Laskey, from Mount Brydges, will be starting the PhD program in social and personality psychology at the University of Toronto in the fall, with the hope of eventually becoming a research-focused professor.

“It’s certainly nice to have my hard work recognized as a student. It means a lot! Winning this award will help to motivate me to keep up the industriousness moving forward,” says Laskey.

Mira Noordermeer, ’23 Honours Specialization in Social Work, is the Four Year (Honours) Bachelor of Social Work - Honours Specialization Social Work recipient.

Noordermeer, who calls Windsor home but has been “a dedicated London community member for the last 15 years,” is looking forward to beginning King’s Master of Social Work program in September 2023.  

“No one achieves anything on their own. This journey was completed alongside extraordinarily thoughtful peers and faculty members. I am grateful for their generosity, patience, and critical feedback. Learning is relational, and this award is a testament to the quality relationships formed in this program,” says Noordermeer.

Madeleine Claire Schaafsma, ’23 Honours Specialization in English Language and Literature with a Minor in Writing Studies, is the Four Year (Honours) Bachelor of Arts - Honours Specialization Humanities recipient.

Schaafsma, from Burlington, will be going to Western University to get her Bachelor of Education (Intermediate/Senior).

“This award is an encouragement that the long, lonely days spent writing papers were fruitful. It is also a welcome reminder of how much I have learned and grown over the past five years and of the many brilliant, dedicated, and caring students and professors I have had the privilege of meeting here during that time,” says Schaafsma.

Hailey Elaine Smith, ’23 Specialization in French Studies and Minor in Psychology, is the Four Year Bachelor of Arts - Specialization recipient.

Smith, from London, will be attending Althouse College at Western University to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in education.

“Receiving the Board of Directors' Gold Medal Award brings personal fulfilment as it serves as recognition and validation of my hard work and dedication. This achievement reaffirms my capabilities and motivates me to continue pursuing excellence in my future endeavours, providing a strong foundation for my academic and professional journey,” says Smith.

Sharron Jill Spencer, ’23 Major in Thanatology, is the Three Year Bachelor of Arts - Major recipient.

Spencer, originally from Toronto but currently living near Orillia, Ontario, has been working at Matthews House Hospice in the role of Grief & Bereavement counsellor.

“I am still in shock to learn that I have received this award and it means the world to me,” says Spencer.

Jordan John Louis Verberne, ’23 Honours Double Major in Criminology and Sociology, is the Four Year (Honours) Bachelor of Arts - Honours Double Major Social Science recipient.

Verberne, from London, is currently in the Accelerated Teacher’s College program at Queen’s University in Kingston.

"This award is unexpected and means a lot to my young family and myself. I spent many late nights after my boys (three years and six months old respectively) went to bed to achieve the marks I received and I am grateful my hard work has been recognized. Being a positive role model for my boys is the most important thing in my life and this award demonstrates hard work pays off,” says Vereberne.

Anqi Zhan, ’23 Honours Specialization in Thanatology, with a Minor in Criminology, is the Four Year (Honours) Bachelor of Arts - Honours Specialization Interdisciplinary Programs recipient.

Zhan, from Moichiu, Canton, will be attending Western in the fall for the Master of Arts in Research for Policy and Evaluation, and later, hopes to pursue further education and training in the fields of peacebuilding and community activism.

“It is a great honour to receive this award,” says Zhan.

Congratulations to all the 2022-2023 Board of Directors’ Gold Medal Award recipients. We wish them all the best in their future employment and academic pursuits!