News Archives: GPRC Alumna Receives High Academic Honour
Monday, July 8th, 2019
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GPRC alumna Katie Boisvert has graduated with one of the University of Alberta’s highest academic honours. At her June convocation ceremony, Boisvert accepted the Governor General’s Silver Medal, an honour awarded annually to the three undergraduate students with the highest academic standing from any discipline at the University of Alberta.
Boisvert says her two-year stint studying in GPRC's PEAK department at the beginning of her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology degree helped her succeed at university. “Attending GPRC was a natural progression into university life,” she said. “It was great to stay in my own community and increase my confidence within that post-secondary setting with smaller class sizes. I was able to really get to know my professors and all my fellow students.”
Although Boisvert occasionally struggled with her university workload, she always managed to get through the hard times with a positive outlook and a strong support system. “A huge part of success at school is knowing when to ask for help,” said Boisvert. “I’ve always been the type of student to stay after class and ask the professor a million questions, and to organize lots of group study sessions with my classmates. Leaning on the support of my family to keep myself motivated was also a huge factor in my success throughout the years.”
Receiving the Governor General’s Silver Medal was a huge honour for Boisvert, but she’s not done yet. Undergraduate degree in hand, Boisvert has already been accepted into graduate school for the 2019–2020 academic year and has her sights on a career in the rehabilitation field. “I grew up pretty active,” she said. “I’ve known since I was really young that I wanted to be a physiotherapist. I’ve always had a passion for working with people with intellectual and physical disabilities, so I’d love to somehow weave that into my practice one day.”
Boisvert’s educational experience has taught her more than just course content—it’s given her skills and confidence she will draw on for the rest of her life. “I’ve learned that it’s okay to dream big,” she said. “You may be entering a competitive field, but that’s okay. You need to believe in yourself and your capabilities.”
