Three new McMaster students have been selected for the undergraduate stream of the Wilson Leadership Scholar Award. This follows a multi-stage selection process, ending with panel interviews conducted online.
Kwasi Adu-Poku, Janna Getty and Emma Krentz make up the fifth cohort of undergraduate Wilson Leaders.
Sean Van Koughnett, director of the award and Associate Vice-President, (Students and Learning) and Dean of Students notes that, “The times we’re in highlight how important leadership is to society, and to our lives. We’re more grateful than ever to host the Wilson Leadership Scholar Award development program, and to offer students the opportunity to develop their leadership potential in such a special program.”
The award consists of $20 000 in direct funding, up to $5 000 in funding for experiential learning, and participation in a development program over the course of the academic year. Wilson Leaders engage in problem-based learning sessions on a range of national issues, meet with mentors and speakers, work towards a community project, and benefit from being part of a tight-knit group that crosses disciplinary boundaries.
Adu-Poku is a Kinesiology student, varsity basketball player, and three-time Academic All Canadian, with a long history of volunteering in educational roles and in his local community. Getty is a Justice, Political Philosophy and Law student, whose work with the Crown Attorney’s Office inspired a project on how to appropriately adapt criminal sentences when mental health has been a factor. Krentz is a Mathematics and Statistics student, and McCall MacBain International Fellow, whose work and volunteer history ranges from business analytics, to STEM education, and language learning support for newcomers.
This year’s winners will be joined by Wilson Leaders in the graduate stream, to be selected this summer. Some program events will be open to all McMaster students, and the program will be adapted as necessary due to COVID-19.
The Wilson Leadership Scholar Award is offered by the Wilson Foundation and proudly hosted at McMaster. More information is available at www.wilsonleader.ca.