Young Alumna/Alumnus of the Year Award

The Young Alumna/Alumnus of the Year Award was established to recognize an individual who graduated in the past five years. Nominated by their peers, recipients embody the spirit of Bishop’s through their professional achievements or community service. Find the eligibility criteria below.

Emma Story, the 2025 Young Alumna Recipient

2025 Recipient: Emma Story ’21

Emma is a Bishop’s graduate with a B.Sc. and is pursuing a M.S.c. in Sport Management at the University of Florida online. She has worked at the Abilities Centre in Whitby, Ontario, since 2022, where she serves as Manager of Recreation, overseeing a team of six certified therapists. She also leads the Therapeutic Recreation in Schools program, which supports skill development for children and youth with disabilities and has been implemented in 12 schools across Ontario.

Beyond her professional role, Emma is deeply engaged in community initiatives. She worked on the launch of Project Purpose alongside Northern Super League player and activist Farkhunda Muhtaj, volunteers as a Mixed Ability Sport Coach, and supports advisory committees at Durham and Lambton Colleges. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Therapeutic Recreation Ontario and as an Advisory Council Member for the Canadian Disability Participation Project 2.0.

Pascale Desmarais ’22

Since graduating from Bishop’s University in June 2022 with B.A. in Sports Studies and Management with a concentration in Athletic Development and a minor in Psychology, Pascale Desmarais has built a diverse career in the Games industry. During her time at Bishop’s, she was a member of the Gaiters Women’s Hockey team for all four years and founded the Sports Studies Society.

Since then, she has worked/volunteered at major events including the Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games, P.E.I. 2023 Canada Winter Games, the 2023 IIHF Women’s World Hockey Championship, the 2023 North American Indigenous Games, and currently works with the Canadian Olympic Committee. A dedicated and driven professional, Pascale is also set to graduate this spring from the University of Ottawa with a Masters in Human Kinetics, with a concentration in Sport Management.

She continues to give back to the Bishop’s community having served as a guest speaker at the Sports Studies Summit and as a guest lecturer in a Sports Studies course focused on venue and event management.

TJ Smith- 2023 Young Alumnus Award Recipient

TJ Smith ’19

TJ graduated as class valedictorian in 2019 with a B.B.A. in Accounting and went on to complete his Master of Accounting, earning both his CPA and CISA. During his time at Bishop’s, TJ was President of the Bishop’s University Commerce Society and a SEED Portfolio Manager.

Deeply appreciative of the school’s emphasis on experiential learning, TJ has since been dedicated to giving back to the B.U. community. He has coached award-winning case competition teams, spoken at networking events, and mentored students and young alumni. Most recently, TJ has been a professor in the Williams School of Business, bringing real-world insight into the classroom to prepare students for post-grad life.

Felicity Burns, the 2022 Young Alumna Award Recipient

Felicity Burns ’17

Felicity graduated from Bishop’s University with a B.A. in Educational Studies (2017) and a Bachelor of Education (2018), receiving the Undergraduate Prize in Elementary Education. She went on to complete a Masters of Arts in Education & Society at McGill University. Alongside her graduate studies, Felicity worked as an elementary school teacher with the Eastern Townships School Board, where she became known for creating engaging learning experiences.

She is currently a research assistant on a Quebec Pain Research Network-funded project exploring children’s chronic pain. She also works full time as a Learning Strategist and Individual Education Plan Manager at Bishop’s College School. An active community leader and advocate, Felicity has helped organized initiatives in support of Indigenous Awareness, Orange Shirt Day, and climate justice.

Allie Hurry, Recipient of 2021 Young Alum Award

Allie Hurry ’19

Allie graduated from Bishop’s University in 2019 with a B.A. in sociology. While at Bishop’s, Allie was a part of the competitive cheerleading team, the B.U. Charity Fashion Show as the fundraising director, and worked as a research assistant for Dr. Vicki Chartrand. She had always been interested in pursuing a degree in law, and an epiphany about injustice in the world focused her energy on helping those who don’t have the knowledge or resources to help themselves.

Now attending McGill, she has volunteered with Innocence McGill, which does research and work in reversing wrongful federal convictions. This semester, she will be working with CRARR (Centre for Research-Action of Race Relations) in place of one of her courses. CRARR deals with cases of racial, gender-based, and disability-based discrimination.

This summer and next, she is working for McCarthy Tétrault in Montreal. Through this position, Allie has worked on a file dealing with the treatment of prisoners in the Canadian penal system during Covid and published an article in an online law journal covering missing and murdered Indigenous women. Her commitment to kindness and awareness has shown her Bishop’s values shine in the post-grad life.

*Ms. Dobler declined this award

Jordan MacNevin, 2019 Young Alum Award Recipient

Jordan MacNevin ’15

Jordan graduated from Bishop’s with a B.Sc. and since then has paved the road for scientists who are interested in the craft of brewing. Jordan found a deep appreciation for brewery through B.U. while introduced to the Arches Brewery where science meets creativity. Now pursuing his dream job as Head Brew Master at 19-81 Brewing Company, Cayman Islands, Jordan dedicates his time to both self-discovery and communal efforts.

One of Jordans missions is to give back to his community, which he assured by implementing a summer mentorship program at the brewery. This program allows a local high school student to work on hands-on projects directly with Jordan. Here the two will partner with local farmers, producing one-of-a-kind community focused beer. Driven and passionate about his work, Jordan’s perseverance shines through his career.

Emma Fingler, 2018 Young Alum Award Recipient

Emma Fingler ’16

Emma graduated from Bishop’s with a B.A. in Political Science and minors in Religion and International Studies. While at Bishop’s, she was captain of the Women’s Varsity Soccer Team and served as an intern to the Principal’s Chief of Staff as a research assistant. After graduating, Emma pursued a Master of Arts in Global Governance at the University of Waterloo’s Balsillie of International Affairs, completing a thesis on the Responsibility to Protect doctrine in natural disaster response. During her studies she held a graduate fellowship with the Center for International Governance Innovation and presented research on migration governance at the Borders in Globalization conference and to Global Affairs Canada.

Most recently, Emma worked as a Junior Professional Consultant with the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office in Kathmandu, Nepal, where she created a report on the Grand Bargain assessing progress and struggles in effective natural disaster response.

Robert Dunfield, 2017 winner of the young alum award

Robert Dunfield ’15

Since graduating, Robert has begun a medical degree at Dalhousie University, where he earned the New Brunswick Medical Education Trust Scholarship and won the Saint John Regional Hospital Emergency Department Research Day. At Dalhousie, he is involved in the Geriatrics Medicine Interest Group, Exercise in Medicine Interest Group, and the Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick Accreditation Team. He also serves as Vice President of both the Fundy Royal Political Association and the Dalhousie Medical Students’ Society.

Outside the classroom, he is a swimming instructor for disadvantaged children through the medical student program Making Waves. Additionally, Robert volunteers at a local nursing home and founded Pass the Present, a holiday gift drive for residents of healthcare facilities across Southern New Brunswick. In his hometown of Sussex, NB, Robert also founded a community initiative to increase access to publicly available epinephrine auto-injectors.

Eligibility

Graduates from the past five years are eligible for the Young Alum of the Year Award, with the exception of current Bishop’s University employees. Self-nominations are not accepted.

What We’re Looking For
This award celebrates young alumni who are making a meaningful difference in their communities after their time at Bishop’s. While professional achievements are valued, special emphasis is placed on volunteerism, community involvement, and individuals who go above and beyond in their personal or professional lives to contribute to the greater good.

Nominations should highlight:

Community impact and volunteerism: The nominee’s contributions to their community, including volunteer work, initiatives they have led, or sustained service since graduating from Bishop’s.
Professional achievements with impact: Accomplishments in the nominee’s professional life that demonstrate leadership, purpose, and a commitment to making a positive difference.

Nominations must be no longer than 500 words and should include the nominee’s contact information.

Please submit nominations to Sterling Mawhinney at smawhinn@ubishops.ca no later than March 31, 2026.