Community and Alumni Recognition
Each year, Northwestern Polytechnic recognizes the achievements of a few remarkable individuals with enduring connections to our learning community. These contributors are local community members and alumni who lead, innovate and champion advancement in four distinct categories.
Recognize the Exceptional
Between February 15 and April 30, 2024, we are accepting nominations for the 2024 Community Alumni Awards. The recipients will be announced at the President's Ball, held in October.
Nominate Someone
More About the Awards
With four distinct categories, our awards recognize individuals whose contributions and achievements have made a significant and lasting difference to NWP and the broader community.
Board of Governors Distinguished Innovation Leadership Award
The Distinguished Leadership Award recognizes the outstanding lifetime accomplishments of a community member who has made a significant impact because of their innovative service to society.
Young Entrepreneur Award
Recognizes the outstanding professional achievements and/or service contributions to the community or region. Nominees must be 30 years of age or younger at the nomination deadline.
Alumni Entrepreneurship Award
Recognizes an innovative business, process or product created by a Northwestern Polytechnic alumni or group of alumni. The program, process or product will have significantly advanced their respective discipline, through innovation, and raised the profile of Northwestern Polytechnic. The nominee also demonstrates leadership qualities through mentorship with current students and/or alumni, and service to the Institution.
Indigenous Community Impact Award
Established in 2021, this Award recognizes alumni whose outstanding contribution has demonstrated innovation and responsiveness within the First Nations, Inuit, and/or Metis communities through the nominee’s contributions to public policy, volunteerism or activism, and to the advancement of higher education within these communities. Recently established by the Circle of Indigenous Students.
Meet the 2023 Recipients
Each recipient has a unique connection to NWP. Read about their achievements and community contributions in the articles below.
When you think of a successful business owner and leader, you expect them to be ambitious, comfortable with risk, and highly attuned to the market. Eunice Friesen, this year’s recipient of the Board of Governors Distinguished Innovation Leadership Award, is certainly all those things. Upon meeting her, however, you quickly realize that she is also warm, committed to care-giving and passionate about creating inclusive spaces. She puts people first, in all respects, and is an excellent and inspiring example of how that attitude can drive innovative thinking and bring about prosperity and personal satisfaction. Read more about Eunice.
Watch Eunice talk about her connection to NWP
If you were to create a living embodiment of NWP's current vision and goals, you'd likely end up with someone like Mariah Braun. Transforming individual interests into impactful skills and expertise? Check. Collaborative priorities and an ambitious vision? Check. Innovative, entrepreneurial and market-driven? Check, check, check.
Mariah, owner and operator of M3M Marketing in Grande Prairie, has always been drawn to creative pursuits. She knew that her future career would need to incorporate elements of creativity and innovation, and offer her a reasonable degree of security and stability. Read more about Mariah.
Watch Mariah talk about her connection to NWP
Connection is an enduring theme in Nikita Stamp’s life. Her childhood was spent on her family’s farm in Pipestone Creek, and from her earliest beginnings, she has felt deeply connected to and appreciative of the people, land and water of the Peace region. As it often does, her sense of connection has fostered a commitment to giving back, and these two personal drivers, combined with a great respect for the exchange and passing of knowledge, make her an ideal recipient for this year’s Indigenous Community Impact Award. Read more about Nikita.
Watch Nikita talk about her connection to NWP
NWP's Young Entrepreneur Award is intended to recognize an outstanding professional, 30 years of age or younger, for their achievements and/or service contributions to the community and region. Fittingly, outstanding is a place that this year's recipient, Katie Gaucher (nee Boisvert), has come to know very well.
Katie was born and raised in Grande Prairie, and is one of those fortunate people who land on their chosen career early in life. A 'take a student to work day' in Grade 9 gave her the opportunity to shadow family friend Nelson Cuff as he treated his physiotherapy patients at the city's Lifemark clinic. From that day on, Katie set her sights on becoming a physiotherapist herself - likely not realizing, however, just how full circle her journey would be. Read more about Katie.
Watch Katie talk about her connection to NWP
Contact Us
For more information about our awards, please contact: