King's Scholars 'tomorrow's leaders' to be honoured for achievements

This year’s Spring Celebration of Graduates on June 16, 2021, will once again celebrate students graduating from the King’s Scholar program.

Each of the eight students will graduate with a discipline-specific Honours degree as well as the prestigious King’s Scholar designation. The ceremony will acknowledge their industry and determination over the past three years.

“King's Scholars are fearless, ambitious, and curious. They take on politics, poetry, and painting, music and Marxism, the terror of time and the end of history. They challenge, learn from, and support each other. King's Scholars encounter concepts and problems outside their comfort zone and skill set. They also set and they meet high standards for themselves and are inspired by the ideas and the people they encounter during the program,” says Dr. Claudia Clausius, Associate Professor, Coordinator of Foundations/King’s Scholar, Department of English, French, and Writing.

This year’s graduates from the King’s Scholar program include:

• Caleb Crowe ’21, Honours BA (King's Scholar Program) Honours Specialization in Philosophy

• Clare Dennis-Grantham ’21, BA Honours (King's Scholar Program) Honours Specialization in Social Justice and Peace Studies
• Gabrielle Gooch ’21, Honours BA (King's Scholar Program) Honours Specialization in Childhood and Social Institutions
• Daniel King ’21, Honours BA (King's Scholar Program) Double Major in History and Social Justice and Peace Studies
• Benjamin Kitching ’21, Honours BA (King's Scholar Program) Honours Specialization in Political Science
• Lisa-Lee Newell ’21, Honours BA (King's Scholar Program) Honours Specialization in Sociology
• Andera Novak ’21, Honours BA (King's Scholar Program) Honours Specialization in English Language and Literature; Minor in Creative Writing
• Brandon Vecchiola ’21, Honours BA (King's Scholar Program) Honours Specialization in Psychology; Minor in General English

King’s Scholar graduates “have reason to be proud and confident. They have proven themselves as invaluable members of the King's community, as mature scholars, and as tomorrow's leaders,” says Dr. Clausius.

“King’s Scholar not only balanced my university education and experience, it taught me to think more broadly and deeply about current affairs, culture, history, politics, philosophy, society, and life in general. The interdisciplinary program allowed me to research and write about what I found interesting and worthy of academic inquiry. Some of the assignments were creative in nature, which allowed for a level of freedom not typical of other disciplines.  The content was interesting, the professors were engaging, and the students in the class provided some of the richest discussions and debates I had while at King’s,” says Brandon Vecchiola.

“I was initially drawn to the King’s Scholar program as a means to create a foundation of liberal arts knowledge that would extend and enhance my thinking beyond the scope of my honour’s specialization. The program offered me experiential learning opportunities, public speaking experience, and critical thinking skills that provided me with the tools to be successful at King’s and in achieving my post-graduate goals,” explains Gooch.

“Enrolling in the King’s Scholar program was one of the best decisions I made during my undergraduate program. Everything we learned in King’s Scholar has helped me to understand my other courses at such a deeper level,” says Newell.

King’s Scholar is a program for intellectually curious students who want 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 is designed to complement all Honours programs, regardless of discipline. The program is intended as a personal and professional enrichment. 

For more information, please visit the King’s Scholar page.