A Weyburn student, Chelsea Jones, was presented with a prestigious award in Boston recently, the first Canadian to receive the award, for her work as a student employee for the University of Regina recreation services department.
She received the William N. Wasson Student Leadership and Academic Award in a presentation made in Boston, along with Alison Fisher, the recreation services program assistant at the U of R, who received a separate award.
Chelsea received the award which recognizes “top students in collegiate recreation who have displayed outstanding efforts and commitment to their recreation departments”, with the award taking into account academics as well as extracurricular involvement.
Fisher received the Horace Moody Award from the same organization, after being nominated by Chelsea as her mentee.
The William N. Wasson award is named after the founder of the National Intramural Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA), and was presented on behalf of NIRSA’s Canada West Region at the 2019 NIRSA Conference and Campus Rec and Wellness Expo in Boston.
Chelsea recently completed an internship at the University of Oregon, and has had a large impact on the University of Regina’s recreation services department and social media platforms. She has worked with the UR Fit program, the Fitness and Lifestyle Centre and Aquatics at the U of R.
“I am not sure there are words to express what Chelsea has meant to the Recreation Services department and to the Faculty of Kinesiology and Health Studies,” said Fisher.
“Her energy and enthusiasm has touched so many pieces within our faculty, and her tireless dedication to improve our program is phenomenal. She has revamped our social media and has also made a positive impact on the profession of recreation professionals in Canada through her work with NIRSA Canada West Region,” she added.
“I have seen her grow into a strong leader and a great ambassador for what a driven sport and rec student can do. It’s been a pleasure to work with a student who has her dedication, passion and love for what she does,” said Fisher. “As the first Canadian to be recognized for this award, I feel that she is the most deserving recipient.”
