Students receiving major admission awards gathered for a special event at Wallace Hall on Sept. 18, where they met with faculty and administration members, and their peers. 

Ampai Thammachack, a fourth-year kinesiology student, spoke at the event about arriving at Queen’s from Bedford, N.S., and how much her Queen’s experience means to her. She struggled with self-belief and didn’t think she had any chance of achieving any kind of higher education. But receiving the Bank of Montreal National Award opened the door to new opportunities.

“Long story short, this award gave me the opportunity of a lifetime, which is something no one can ever take away from me or any major admission award recipient,” she says. “Because of this award, and the incredible people at Queen’s, I have been able to thrive in ways I never knew I would.”

During her time at Queen’s she has continued to run her two charities, The Glass Slipper Organization and Step above Stigma, and earlier this year received the Agnes Benidickson Tricolour Award, one of the highest honours a student can receive from the university, for dedicated service to the Queen’s community.

Currently, there are 285 entering and in-course major admission award recipients at Queen’s from across Canada.

“Major Admission Award recipients demonstrate a high level of engagement and academic success that continues throughout their time at Queen’s,” says Ann Tierney, Vice-Provost and Dean of Student Affairs, the emcee for the event. “Year after year we are proud to recognize all of our recipients for their academic excellence, outstanding leadership abilities, , creativity, and initiative.”

The selection process for major admission awards is rigorous, with more than 200 faculty, including members of the Retirees Association at Queen’s, volunteering to evaluate the more than 1,200 submissions each year.  

The awards are supported by numerous donors. Many donors want to give back because they, too, received some form of support, recognition, and encouragement when they were students. Their generosity has a significant impact within the Queen’s community and the recipients of their awards. 

Visit the Student Awards website for information about the Major Admission Awards program.