Salisbury Girl Graduates From Mount Allison

Sarah Elizabeth Irving of Salisbury graduated from Mount Allison University on May 17. Shown here is her proud grandfather, Ronald Killam, and her mother Cindy Killam. Sarah attended JMA Armstrong High as did her parents and grandparents before her. Sarah graduated on the honor roll from high school in 2006.
Now four years later she has graduated with a BA (Honours in International Relations) from Mount Allison University. During her four years of study Sarah wrote for the student newspaper and was the senior residence assistant of Hunton House. Sarah went on an exchange program to Merida, Yucatan, & Mexico. She has been very active with the community of international students at the University, being a conversation partner for Japanesse students studying english as well as various inter-cultural activities. Sarah had a wonderful experience when she worked at Struts Gallery during the last two summers.
Soon she will be moving to Montreal to take a five week course in french called “Explore” in Chicoutimi, and then hopefully work with an affiliated program called “Odyseey” in Quebec. This program puts anglophone Teacher’s Assistants into francophone classes where english is being taught in order to make english more fun, interactive and interesting for the students. This same program happens in reverse. On May 17th. 2010 there were 318 students graduating from the Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick. At 9:30a.m. in the Marjorie Young Bell Convocation Hall, the graduation ceremony included students from the Science and Commerce program and at 2:30p.m. students from the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Music graduated.
Principal and Vice-Chancellor Robert Campbell preformed the opening of Convocation. CBC’s chief correspondent Peter Mansbridge was installed as the new chancellor and then later addressed the second group of graduates.
Throughout the day there were six ‘Citations For Honorary Doctorate of Laws’ presented. The first was to the Hon. Graydon Nicholas, New Brunswick’s 30th Lieutenant-Governor. Grayton has had many firsts: the first Aboriginal law graduate in Atlantic Canada; the first Aboriginal provincial court judge in the Maritimes; and New Brunswick’s first Aboriginal Lieutenant-Governor.
The second was Heather Reisman who is from Montreal and educated at McGill University. In 2009 the Financial Times of London chose her as one of the top 50 businesswomen in the world. Ms. Reisman is the founder and CEO of Indigo Books & Music Inc., which is Canada’s largest book and gift retailer with 250 stores nationwide.
David Sobey from Halifax Nova Scotia was the third to receive the Citation for Honorary Doctorate of Law. Mr. Sobey’s journey has taken him from managing a single store in Halifax to transforming Sobeys into one of the most successful Canadian corporations ever. He now owns and operates more than 1,300 grocery stores nationwide. He is Chancellor of Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, and is a member of the Order of Canada.
In the afternoon ceremonies, Rev. Brent Hawkes was the fourth to receive the Honorary Doctorate of Law. His caring, courageous and committed effort to bring justice for all members of the gay and lesbian community has not gone unnoticed. Rev. Hawkes is a native of Bath, New Brunswick and a graduate of Mount Allison as well as Trinity College, and the University of Toronto. He has been senior pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church in Toronto for 30 years.
The fifth recipient was Dr. Samantha Nutt. Ms. Nutt graduated from McMaster University and earned an MSc with distinction from London University. Ms. Nutt holds a Fellowship in Community Medicine from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and is further certified by the College of Family Practice.
Samantha has worked in some of the world’s most turbulent war zones for over 15 years. Since the age of 24, she has been a volunteer and medical doctor with the United Nations and various non-governmental organizations (NGO’s) in flash points such as Darfur, Iraq, Afghanistan, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Burundi, northern Uganda, Ethiopia and the Thai-Burmese border.
She has been widely recognized for her work in Canada and around the world. Ms. Nutt is a recipient of the Order of Ontario and is one of Canada’s top 40 under 40, as featured in The Globe and Mail. Samantha has been hailed as one of 200 Young Global Leaders by the World Economic Forum; on of “Canada’s Five Leading Activists” by Time magazine; and is one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women. The final recipient of the day was J.J. (Jim) Keith. Mr. Keith was a professional educator, a graduate of Bishop’s University, and later McGill. He pursued a distinguished teaching and school administration career and assumed leadership positions with school districts in Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. His career culminated as Superintendent of Schools from the Kings County Amalgamated School Board in Nova Scotia, President of the Nova Scotia School Administrators’ Association and President of the Canadian Association of School Administrators.
Jim has been notably active in various voluntary associations, many centred on the health, education, and welfare of young people in particular.
Members of the Mount Allison and Sackville communities best remember Mr. Keith for his steadfast service from 1987 to 2004, and as a member of the Board of Regents at Mount Allison. He routinely sought to engage faculty, staff and students in direct and honest conversation concerning conditions on campus and often-difficult issues. This was arguably his greatest service to the institution.
Chancellor Mansbridge, in his address to the 2010 graduating class of Mount Allison University, encouraged the new graduates to be quiet hero’s, to believe in themselves, believe in their country and to give something back. He stressed the importance of voting, not just at the Provincial or Federal level, but added the importance of voting at the municipal levels as well. Mansbridge challenged the graduates to take up worthy causes and to fight injustice, he said, “Because you can’t correct every injustice doesn’t mean you should fight none. Pick your spots, but please pick something.” Later Mr. Mansbridge spoke with graduates as he handed him or her their diploma.