![2024 Tricolour Awards](/artsci/sites/faswww/files/styles/wide/public/img/2024-02-13-OwenCrawfordLem-TricolourAwards-2023-HERO.jpg?itok=z1xb_Tg4)
Rector Owen Crawford-Lem, Artsci鈥24, presents the 2023 Tricolour Award at the QUAA Awards Gala on June 17, 2023.
Tricolour Society adds four new members
Four students have received one of the most prestigious honours at Queen鈥檚.
Niki Boytchuk-Hale, ConEd鈥24, MEd'26, Kyla Gibson, Artsci鈥25, Tara Rezvan, Com鈥23, MSc鈥24, and Meena Waseem, Com鈥24, have been announced as this year鈥檚 recipients of the Agnes Benidickson Tricolour Award.
The Agnes Benidickson Tricolour Award is given annually by the Office of the Rector to students for 鈥渧alued and distinguished service, leadership, character, and community impact.鈥
Recipients will receive their awards during a ceremony on April 5.
They also join a group of distinguished alumni as the newest members of the Tricolour Society.
The Tricolour Society served as a model for Canada's highest civilian honour, the Order of Canada, which John Matheson, Arts鈥40, LLD鈥84, helped establish in 1967 as a Member of Parliament.
鈥淭his year鈥檚 recipients have left a lasting mark on the Queen鈥檚 community. Their dedication and kindness have served as examples for their fellow students,鈥 says Rector Owen Crawford-Lem.
鈥淭he university is a better place because of the dedication of Niki, Kyla, Tara, and Meena. They embody the best aspects of the Queen鈥檚 community and fully deserve this tremendous honour.鈥
Boytchuk-Hale is an inclusive and collaborative leader who has fostered co-operation between students and the administration. In her final year of the Concurrent Education program, she has held several positions with the Alma Mater Society (AMS) since 2020. As AMS director of marketing, Boytchuk-Hale created and implemented the innovative AMS Asks U social-media campaign.
Gibson, a third-year Life Sciences major, is dedicated to creating a more inclusive campus for equity-deserving groups. As co-founder of the Commitment Scholars engagement committee, she designed and implemented a mentorship program, helping more than 20 equity-deserving scholars engage in peer mentoring.
Rezvan, a master鈥檚 student, has worked tirelessly to bridge the gap between academia and the business world through her commitment to producing socially impactful research at Smith School of Business. In collaboration with Smith School of Business鈥 Research Office, she founded the Research Impact Hub, which connects undergraduate commerce students with opportunities to engage with innovative academic research.
Waseem, a fourth-year Commerce student, has been a positive force for change throughout her time at Queen鈥檚. She advocated for equitable developments in admissions, curriculum, and financial aid in her program, and organized and co-led the university鈥檚 first ever 鈥淩amadan-in-Residence鈥 initiative to create inclusive and robust Ramadan programming for students living in residence.
First awarded in 1940, the Tricolour Award has a long history at Queen鈥檚 and boasts an impressive list of alumni among its members. Past recipients include Dragons鈥 Den TV star Michele Romanow, Sc鈥07, MBA鈥08; architect of the Canadian flag and the Order of Canada John Matheson, Arts鈥40, LLD鈥84; and former Bank of Canada governor and Queen鈥檚 Chancellor Emeritus David Dodge, Arts'65, LLD鈥02.
For more information about the Tricolour Award and this year鈥檚 celebration, please contact Queen鈥檚 Rector Owen Crawford-Lem.