Congratulations Emily Kay-Leighton, June 2024 Governor General’s Silver Medal winner!
June 14, 2024
The Governor General’s Silver Medal is awarded to the student with the highest grade point average over the course of a four-year undergraduate degree. Kay-Leighton graduated this week with a GPA of 9 out of 9 while earning her Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Emily is an exceptional scholar, top student athlete and distinguished recipient of this award.
Originally from Calgary, she came to Victoria to study at UVic. She chose mechanical engineering to combine her interests in math, physics, computer science and design while earning a practical professional accreditation and gaining real-world experience in her field through multiple co-op terms offered by her program.
“As a part of my degree, I had the opportunity to complete four unique co-op terms that have enriched my academic experience,” she notes. “One in the mountain town of Canmore, Alberta, and my second here at UVic doing research with the fluids lab. I completed my third co-op at a university in Germany where I had the opportunity to travel, and work with other students from all over the world. For my final co-op I was able to further explore my interests in math and computer science while working at a Victoria ocean-software engineering company.”
She also enjoyed the opportunity to work directly with her student peers, while developing critical teaching and mentorship skills.
“During my final year at UVic, I was a teaching assistant for the Math department. I worked as a tutor in the math and stats assistance centre and as a tutorial instructor,” she says. “It was very rewarding to share my passion and experience in math with students, and to challenge myself in developing my teaching skills.”
In 2022, she received the ASHRAE scholarship and in 2023 the Talbot Memorial Fund Award. She also won the Canadian Society of Mechanical Engineering Medal and the Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia (EGBC) Gold Medal.
As a student athlete on the UVic Women’s Ultimate team, she competed in two national Canadian championships and two US College national championships.
“Over five years of playing I competed in numerous tournaments and became a part of an amazing tight-knit team and community,” she says.
Outside of school and sport, she is passionate about outdoor activities and has spent a lot of time while at UVic exploring the island and the surrounding area with her friends by hiking, biking, camping, climbing, and travelling.
Her future plans include international travel and pursuing an interdisciplinary master’s degree.
“Eventually, I hope to pursue a career that allows me to apply my passion and skills in math and engineering to a wide variety of subject areas and problems.,” she adds.
Congratulations Emily on your many exceptional achievements!