Ben Boudreau, a graduating StFX human kinetics and sports management student from Antigonish, NS, has been chosen as one of 10 students from across the country to receive the 2022 3M National Student Fellowship Award.
The 3M National Student Fellowship honours up to 10 full-time diploma and undergraduate students at Canadian post-secondary institutions who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in their lives, at their post-secondary institution. These students embrace a vision of education that enhances their academic experience and beyond.
Along with this good news at StFX, in the pool of over one million students enrolled in Canadian post-secondary institutions, the Maple League universities carved out 40 per cent of the spots for student leadership, with one student from each Maple League university recognized amongst the 10 fellows awarded this year, the highest national recognition of student educational leadership in Canada.
Congratulations go out to Mr. Boudreau (StFX), Sufia Langevin (Bishop’s University), Oorja Gonepavaram (Mount Allison University), and Olivia Stevenson (Acadia University).
“My initial reaction to receiving this news from the 3MNSF awards committee left me both ecstatic and very grateful for this opportunity,” says Mr. Boudreau, who has been actively involved in student engagement and recreation both at StFX and in his home community.
“What an honour to be selected as the 3M National Student Fellowship winner. It’s humbling because awards like these are never earned by yourself - this leadership and innovation award is a reflection of my outstanding professors, mentors, family, friends and my Antigonish community as a whole. Thank you all so much! What a memorable way to cap off my post-secondary studies,” he says.
Mr. Boudreau, who will continue his post-graduate studies in the Corporate Residency MBA program at Dalhousie University, has been actively involved during his time at StFX, maintaining an outstanding academic record while being a generous volunteer and a positive presence in the community.
He was the recipient of a Summer 2021 Internship @StFX Extension Department with a project aimed at finding ways to connect local businesses with residents and incoming university students post-pandemic, then served as the StFX OLTC Student Champion for the Maple League of Universities during his fourth year.
He has served on several StFX student panels, as a recruiter, executive for student Orientation, Fit4Life & Fit4Men leader, Antigonish Multisport leader, and Celtics Soccer board member who has worked to integrate off-campus students into campus events.
He is also the founder and creator of “X-Ring boxes,” a keepsake box to hold and protect the StFX grad ring. During this past year, he used profits from his X-Ring boxes to create a ‘Pay it Forward’ bursary to purchase an X-Ring for an anonymous fellow classmate, recognizing the financial barriers faced by classmates.
He is also the 2022 StFX recipient of the national Canadian Council of University Physical Education and Kinesiology Administrators (CCUPEKA) Award.
Mr. Boudreau says he takes pride in balancing the relationship between his community and university, he values and fosters connections that make others feel included and he works hard to level the playing field to grant equal access and opportunity to others.
StFX faculty member Dr. Angie Kolen nominated Mr. Boudreau for the award.
“Volunteer. Academic. Entrepreneur. Coach. Generous. Kind. Thoughtful. Energetic. Inclusive. Leader. Innovator. These words describe Ben Boudreau and are the reasons I nominated him for a 3M National Student Fellowship,” she says.
“Ben exemplifies a 3M National Student Fellow in ‘outstanding leadership in their lives and at St. Francis Xavier University…and embraces a vision of education that enhances their academic experience and beyond.’ Ben’s leadership and innovation extend far and wide.”
