Trailbreakers and impact makers

Law student Tréchelle Bunn is the founder and race director of the Reconciliation Run, which she created to honour her grandparents who attended residential school. Discover how she’s using the funds to create a scholarship for Indigenous student athletes. 

In November, Maya Turner made history (again!) as the first female athlete ever to be named an all-star in U Sports football. Read about the journey that brought her here.

UM has produced more Rhodes Scholars than any other university in western Canada. Artist Joel Nichols is UM’s 100th recipient and the first ever from the School of Art. Explore the creative complexities of his world.

Pahan PteSanWin was named a 2024 Vanier Scholar for her Indigenous rematriation and reparations research. Learn more about her work and the importance of envisioning what a future can look like past colonial violence.

As a marine in the Peruvian Navy, graduate student Omar Tejada saw the impact of narcoterrorism on children firsthand. Discover how he’s using his master’s thesis in Peace and Conflict Studies to draw attention to the situation in his home country of Peru and advocate for the youngest and most vulnerable victims of the drug wars.

Med student Tooba Razi says her identity as a Pakistani, Muslim woman has strengthened her commitment to creating safe spaces and mentorship opportunities for those who are underrepresented. In 2024, she was recognized for her hard work and dedication with a Canadian Medical Hall of Fame Award. Find out what the award means to her.

UM Falling Walls Lab grand-prize winner Nolan De Leon made connections and represented the university at the global science summit. He was in good company among 100 passionate thinkers and dreamers from various countries trying to face the world’s greatest challenges head on. Explore his journey to Berlin.

A love of tinkering with offroad vehicles and learning how to optimize them for the arctic led RJ Oolooyuk to mechanical engineering. Now he’s the first Inuk student to graduate from the Price Faculty of Engineering. Read about his experience as he returns home to Rankin Inlet, Nunavut to inspire his community.

While working through her degree, fourth-year genetics student Witta Irumva noted a lack of representation of Black women in her field. Delve into how she aims to change that by combining her passion for science with her drive to create a more-equitable world.

Six Faculty of Education students received UM’s undergraduate research awards this year. Explore how their projects delve into critical educational issues like supporting refugee students, gender-based violence and sexual education.