Four Queen’s students have been inducted to the prestigious group of Tricolour alumni.
Meena Waseem, Comm ’24, Tara Rezvan, Comm ’23, MSc ’24, Niki Boytchuk-Hale, ConEd ’24, MEd ’26, and Kyla Gibson, ArtSci ’25, will be presented with the prestigious Agnes Benidickson Tricolour Award by the Office of the Rector at a ceremony on April 5.
The four students have been recognized for distinguished service in the Queen’s community.
Meena Waseem, Comm ’24
For Waseem, the award represents more than her distinguished service.
Believing storytelling is a form of justice, Waseem fought to shine light on students’ untold stories at Queen’s. As a Muslim student, Waseem advocated for students from diverse backgrounds. She helped develop ComSoc’s first Equity and Inclusion roadmap.
“I’m the most excited about the future generations of students, who hopefully feel a sense of pride and a sense of ‘they can do it too’ when they see the announcement for my award,” Waseem said in an interview with The Journal.
Last year Ramadan fell during the winter term, and Waseem collaborated with the Residence Life and Queen’s Dining Services to support students fasting in residence. Students eating without compromising their faith is important, Waseem said.
Waseem is the recipient of the Commerce ’24 Award, chosen by her peers at the Smith School of Business for contributing to the community. Having experienced Queen’s becoming a more inclusive space, Waseem knows it’s come at an exhaustive personal cost and there is still more work to be done.
“There are some things that need to change, and they need to change so we improve student experiences for everyone, and we think critically about the type of leaders we’re building once they leave Queen’s,” Waseem said.
Tara Rezvan, Comm ’23
Tara Rezvan, Comm ’23, hopes her award will shine light on projects at Queen’s.
Rezvan founded the Research Impact Hub, creating training programs and symposiums promoting undergraduate research at the Smith School of Business. Now a graduate student, Rezvan believes students might not know of academic pathways after completing their degrees.
As President of the Commerce Society last year, Rezvan defined her leadership style through vulnerability and humor, which she believed helped her connect with students. Rezvan remembers starting speeches during her term by listing moments when she failed midterms or didn’t get accepted into clubs.
“Being open and vulnerable about your own experience and sharing the parts that didn’t go as planned for you can make it feel a lot better if students find themselves in those situations,” Rezvan said.
As the Sponsorship Director of Queen’s Commerce Corporate Competition, Rezvan raised $27,000 dollars, partnering with top consulting firms so Queen’s students had new learning opportunities.
Rezvan is considering completing her PhD at Queen’s. She fell in love with Queen’s sense of community when visiting the University in grade 11.
“I noticed how it felt like a family, a tight-knit community. Now, five years later, that tight-knit community is what keeps me coming back for more,” Rezvan said.
Niki Boytchuk-Hale, BFA ’23
Niki Boytchuk-Hale, the incoming Rector, is honored to be a recipient of the award. Following in the footsteps of her professor in the Indigenous Teacher Education Program, Liv Rondeau, Boytchuk-Hale believes her success wouldn’t be possible without the mentorship she’s received at Queen’s.
“As a Fine Art grad, I hope others can look to me and see that it’s possible—and necessary—to use the creative arts as a means to create change on campus,” Boytchuk-Hale said in a statement to The Journal.
As the previous marketing director for the AMS, she started the AMS AsksU campaign, interviewing students on campus to promote the AMS. After partnering with Kingston Frontenacs hockey team, Boytchuk-Hale raised $1,230 for the AMS Food Bank.
Now the Vice-Chairperson and Governance Committee Chairperson on the AMS Board of Directors, Boytchuk-Hale advises the AMS executive team on the usage of a multi-million-dollar budget.
As the Brand Insights and Communications Intern for the University, Boytchuk-Hale built the first communications survey, reaching 27,000 students. She went on to work for the Human Rights and Equity Office, updating communications to align with the new policies on sexual violence and sexual misconduct involving students.
Kyla Gibson, ArtSci ’25
Kyla Gibson, ArtSci ’25, is the co-founder of the Commitment Scholars Engagement Committee, which awards 10 incoming students committed to social justice $12,000 dollars for four years at Queen’s. As the Community Organizer for Social Justice, she implemented a mentorship program for the incoming Commitment Scholars.
A member of the Anti-Hate Advisory Group, Gibson was selected to give feedback to senior leadership, Senate, and the Board of Trustees on hate prevention and response at Queen’s.
Gibson served as a representative for Black students at Queen’s pursuing undergraduate research and was selected to present her research on the herpesvirus (HSV) to Queen’s Board of Trustees. Her research was funded by a grant awarded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
Outside of academics, she is part of Queen’s Black Academic Society and the African and Caribbean Students’ Association. Gibson didn’t respond to The Journal’s request for comment in time for publication.
Corrections
A previous version of this article incorrectly attributed Waseem’s work with ResSoc instead of Residence Life, and mischaracterized Waseem’s work in developing ComSoc’s first equity and inclusion roadmap. Incorrect information appeared in the March 15 issue of The Queen’s Journal.
The Journal regrets the error
Tags
Awards, Office of the Rector, Tricolour award
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