Award-winner MacWilliams shares experiences

August 13, 2013 · 0 Comments

Trish MacWilliams (left) is the 2012 recipient of the Jean Boynton Memorial Award

By Maureen Richardson

The Jean Boynton Memorial Award was established by the Nobleton Lions and the Boynton Family to honour the late Flora Jean Boynton (1927-2009), often heralded as the “Matriarch of Nobleton.”
Trish MacWilliams was the 2012 recipient of the award, and shared her story of the first year of post-secondary life away from home.
During the summer of 2011, Trish researched post-secondary educational institutions. She settled on Dalhousie University in Halifax. It had a good reputation, offered programs that appealed to her, and its “view book” won her heart.
Hoping to ensure early acceptance, she applied before the deadline in the 2011-2012 school year, and her solid marks reflected, not only her intellect, but her ongoing commitment to self and personal success. Her graduating year was an essential time for Trish to maintain her standards of performance, in preparation for the experience that lay ahead.
On Aug. 30, 2012, Trish headed to Halifax to begin the next chapter of her story.
Although she and her roommate, a student from Lethbridge, Alberta, had never met personally, they did get to know each other through messaging during the summer of 2012. Having many characteristics and interests in common made the transition to university away from home much easier for both of them.
Trish had selected a commerce program for a number of reasons. The arts seemed too general, and, because of this, she gravitated towards business-related courses in high school. Commerce offered opportunities in a number of different fields. Further, there were possibilities that existed for co-op program that engaged Trish beyond the end of the school year in April.
Her first year was filled with a myriad of opportunities, including attending classes, completing demanding assignments; meeting new people; adjusting to a new environment far from home; engaging herself in the culture of Canada’s east coast, and discovering more about herself. She shared the classroom experience with anywhere from 50 to 200 students, depending on the course.
In saying this, it is important to recognize that students come from diverse locations, including, but not restricted to, the local area and east coast provinces in general, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia; and from more distant places like Bermuda and Ecuador. During the year, she kept in close touch with family and friends through social media, and enjoyed the three-week Christmas break at home.
Looking ahead to the 2013-2014 school year, Trish has selected marketing, finance, business communications, statistics and Greek mythology. Her program is such that it will keep her at Dalhousie throughout the summer months of 2014.
Trish has also been accepted into the Resident Assistant program for her second year, taking on the responsibility of helping new students make the adjustment to the new experience of being away from home. This is such an important time, not only for Trish, but for the incoming students, because they will be able to learn from one another by sharing their perspectives and experiences.
Having returned home to Nobleton at the end of April, Trish is settled into her full-time summer job and is enjoying the company of her family and friends. She is taking advantage of being at home to spend more time on her personal interests of reading, going for walks, watching favourite movies, and going to see new releases. Although the distant horizon is always there with the thought of post-grad studies and career choices to make, for now, Trish is happy to be home.
She summed up her first year at Dalhousie by saying: “It was worth being a geek for four years to get there!”
Trish is wished the very best of happiness and success in her pursuits in the years ahead.
The Nobleton Lions and the Boynton Family congratulate Alisha Mullings, the 2013 recipient of the award, and wish her every success.
Should you wish to contribute to the perpetuity of the Jean Boynton Memorial Award, please contact Bob Phillips, president of the Nobleton Lions Club, through the Lions website at www.nobletonlions.com.