Inaugural recipients of Ryan Beedie Leadership Awards named

Ryan Beedie pictured with SFU Beedie School of Business students

The first five students to receive the new Ryan Beedie Leadership Awards have been named. Mia Dommann, Musa Fortin, Katie Low, Bradley Ma and Kirsten Milic will each receive support of $20,000 over four years, in recognition of their commitment to leadership while at high school.

Each of the recipients has demonstrated leadership through remarkable achievements, both academic and extracurricular, prior to joining the Beedie School of Business.

Mia Dommann, who attended Sentinel Secondary in West Vancouver, was the student council co-president and co-captain of the school’s debate team, represented Western Canada as a competitive swimmer and British Columbia as a gymnast, and has completed up to level seven of the Royal Conservatory of Music examinations for the flute. She achieved all this while maintaining excellent academic results; she was a Gold Cord Honour Roll recipient upon graduation from high school, recognizing that she maintained Honour Roll standing for each term of grades 10, 11, and 12.

“This award has motivated me to succeed academically and personally by seeking out enriching opportunities,” says Dommann.

“I will launch into my career with a head start after graduation without the stress of debt. Most of all, being a Ryan Beedie Scholar is a huge honor that will allow me to pursue my goals freely, and for that I am immensely grateful.”

The new awards have been made possible by a $500,000 gift from Beedie School of Business alumnus Ryan Beedie, which will support 25 undergraduates over five years (five students per year). Ryan Beedie’s donation follows 2011’s $22 million donation from the Beedie family—the largest gift in SFU’s history—to establish the Beedie School of Business.

“Since making the gift to establish the Beedie School of Business in 2011 I have had the opportunity to get to know so many bright, ambitious students over the years,” says Mr. Beedie.

“I am always so impressed with their accomplishments, and I want to do as much as I can to help more young people have the chance to get a university education and build a bright future. These new awards are designed to recognize leadership potential in students and will hopefully inspire youth to get involved in their communities.”