Algoma U student ‘beyond grateful’ for community recognition

A local university student who has already committed several years worth of volunteering to her community was awarded with one of the city’s most prestigious scholarships – and she’s only 17.

Abigail Hamilton, a first-year sociology student, was recently presented with the John R. Rhodes scholarship through Algoma University, which recognizes a high school graduate who embodies integrity, leadership, and commitment to community service.

Valued at $3,000, the scholarship is renewable for up to three additional years, with the condition of maintaining an 80 per cent average.

Hamilton recently moved to the Sault from Kemptville, a small town outside of Ottawa, to begin her postsecondary education. Although she had never been this far up north beforehand, it’s a decision she hasn’t regretted.

“I really like it here, everyone’s really polite to each other,” she says. “I liked the idea of a smaller class size so you can actually speak to your professor. One of my friends was coming up too, so I knew I’d have someone here that I know.”

That friend is Francheska Onasanya, Hamilton’s high school classmate and now an Algoma U student who plays soccer on the varsity team.

Prior to moving north, the two formed an inclusivity club at their high school called “Our Voices,” which caught the attention of the awards selection committee.

“Our high school was hit pretty hard with homophobia, racism, and sexism,” Hamilton says. “We watched it for three years before becoming seniors. We did everything we could to make our school more inclusive.”

The club achieved many firsts at their school, including an Orange Shirt Day and Mental Health Awareness Day. They were successful in their push to have pride flags put on display throughout the school, and they hosted a number of events that sent donations to an assortment of causes including Food Banks Canada.

“It was fun knowing that what we were doing was making a difference,” she says. “There were grade 7 and 8 students that said they wanted to join the club when they got to high school, and it warmed our hearts. It was so cool to see other people interested in what we were doing.”

Forming an inclusion-focused club amidst some of the cohort’s division came with a bit of hesitancy for Hamilton, but she felt it was something they had to do.

“You realize you’re there for something bigger,” she says. “Every time it got hard, or we weren’t sure if we wanted to run a meeting, we reminded ourselves this isn’t for us. This is for the people that show up. We have to be there for them.”

In addition to running the club, Hamilton has a long record of volunteerism that stretches beyond the walls of her former high school.

The sociology student served as a member on the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Task Force in Kemptville, and she’s volunteered countless hours for several charity groups and childhood cancer initiatives.

Hamilton says her drive to defend people’s rights and assist those in need is attributed to an upbringing that was filled with compassion and perseverance.

“It’s because of my parents,” she says. “They always taught me to put others before myself, and to reach out to people whenever they need a hand. My dad works in construction and he’s an incredibly hard worker, and my mom used to work in healthcare, so she was always helping people.”

“They are two of the most giving people I know,” she adds. “They taught me what it means to be a good person.”

On Thursday, Hamilton had the opportunity to meet Diane Marshall, a long-time educator who was also recognized for her tremendous community contributions. They were joined by past winners of the John R. Rhodes scholarship at the award ceremony which included a dinner and several keynote speeches.

The young student says she had no idea how big of a deal her achievement was going into it.

“I didn’t realize how prestigious the scholarship was at first,” she says. “I found out who John Rhodes was through some research and realized this was bigger than I thought it was.”

Hamilton now has her eyes set on becoming a human rights officer after a sociology course in high school sparked her interest in that area. She says the Sault will give her the best shot at getting there thanks to the university’s unique sociological perspective.

“I want to help people, and I want to fix things for other people,” she says. “I don’t hear enough people talking about some of the global issues, especially Indigenous issues, which is a big reason why I came to Algoma. They put Indigenous perspective on such a high pedestal, and I had never seen that before. You can really tell it’s not just for show – they truly care.”