Leaders of UNBC’s 2021 graduating class selected

Lila Mansour from Prince George and Holly McVea of Rocky Mountain House, AB have been named valedictorians for UNBC’s 2021 graduating class.

Mansour is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts, Economics degree, with a minor in and Global and International Studies.

She grew up visiting the halls of UNBC with her mother, who was a student at the time and became a student in 2017  and immediately began immersing herself in the UNBC community.

“In my senior high school years, despite how attractive other universities looked, I knew for sure UNBC would be the best place for me to further my studies,” she says. “I had deep ties with my community and I wanted to stay close to home. UNBC continues to be one of the top small universities in Canada, and I was aware that there were many opportunities to be involved in the campus community.”

Throughout her four years at UNBC, Mansour competed with the school’s JDC West team twice and led numerous initiatives and organizations, volunteering at events like TEDxUNBC, Orientation, GlobalU, and the Debate Society.

She says her economics degree and minor in international studies will equip her with the analytical and critical thinking skills she needs to become a lawyer.

Meanwhile, Holly McVea is graduating at the top of her class as well with honours, receiving a Bachelor of Science, Biology degree.

McVea started her work at UNBC in the fall of 2016 with the intention of only staying for a few years before transferring, however, she ultimately ended up transferring her credits to the school’s biology degree program.

She was elected president of the Northern Undergraduate Student Society, volunteered for various Student-Led Organizations, and has worked as a tour guide, tutor, and became a Student Project Lead.

“When I think of the spirit of the north, I think of the thousands of people who believed in the north and put forward their names and dollars to create a northern university,” she says. “I find the origins of UNBC to be inspiring. Despite all of the challenges of setting up a new institution in a rural northern community, we have an excellent University that fosters community, learning, and above all a sense of perseverance in its students. UNBC carries on the legacy of its founders by instilling, into each and every student, the spirit of the north.

McVea plans to pursue a master’s degree in a biology-related field and obtain her Registered Professional Biologist designation to become a professor one day.