Since 2019, the Thompson Rivers University Student Union (TRUSU) has awarded dozens of women with the “Women of TRU Award”. This award has grown immensely over the years and now includes an event for people to connect over these achievements. March 8th, 2025 will mark International Women’s Day and TRUSU is ready to give seven outstanding women the platform to share their message and give a donation towards a charity of their choice. The charities are chosen by the women and TRU has graciously given each charity 500$ to use how they please.
“This award gives women the opportunity to learn and grow while giving those teachings back to the next generation” states Shannon Lopes, 2023 TRUSU Members-At-Large for the equity committee.
2023 marked the year that this award had expanded from an online recognition to an in person event. The TRUSU Equity Committee decided that this award should be followed by a luncheon and a charitable donation. With over 50 enthusiastic individuals in attendance last year, the new committee hopes to have a greater impact on the community at the next addition of this event. The luncheon included the 7 recognized winners, each giving a 2 minute speech in thanks to the nomination as well as each of the 7 charities present to accept their cheques. The speeches were very impactful, making people laugh, cry, and understand the importance of women in their respective fields.
“It’s a huge honour in particular because I came from TRU. I did my undergrad here quite some time ago so to actually have members of the student body nominate and elect me for that kind of an award was huge” states Dr. Amie Mclean, award winner of the Women of TRU in 2024.
This year’s event is already in the planning stage. With nominations underway, TRUSU is aiming to have as many women nominated as possible. Students are encouraged to submit their nominations before December 31st, 2024 so the committee can then begin deciding which 7 women are going to be selected. These 7 women will then go through an interview with the committee members to create an article for publication. The interview is an opportunity for the committee to get to know the women better and ask them questions about their charity, degree/career, impact on the community, and future goals. These articles aim to share how many influential women are present on campus and break barriers to inspire the next generation of women at TRU.
“Hundreds of applications come through our selection committee for this nomination and it really goes to show that there are many amazing women here at TRU. We carefully choose 7 of these women to be our winners and begin with our interviews” states Shannon Lopes.
March 8th, 1975 represents the first ever International Women’s Day recognized by the United Nations. With the goal of recognizing and celebrating women’s achievements, International Women’s Day is recognized alongside the labor movements of North America and Europe throughout the twentieth century. Since the beginning of this celebration, women’s rights movements have come a long way in societies all across the globe.
“I am both empowered by being a member of a huge community of folks who are really fighting for those things but it is hard to witness some things both institutional and in the broader global/political context” States Dr. Amie Mclean when asked about the progress seen by the women in TRU
“Coming from another country to Canada, it is amazing to see the progression in women’s rights here. I love to see another angle of feminism and I hope that many women can learn from this opportunity” states Shannon Lopes.
Dr. Amie Mclean is a strong advocate for EDI related issues. As a faculty member at TRU and a TRUFA committee member, Dr. McLean works tirelessly towards progression at TRU. In March of 2024, Dr. McLean had won the Women of TRU award for her ongoing work towards the betterment of TRU. During her impactful speech, she dedicated her win to her son who lives with many medical conditions. As a mom, caregiver, and faculty member, Dr. McLean goes above and beyond for those around her. She chose to donate to People in Motion: an organization that aims to work with people with disabilities to help them feel included.
“People in Motion has an active commitment to ensuring that folks with disabilities have the opportunity to go out and participate as full members in the local community… The reason I have chosen them is because I am the child/ parent/ sister/ aunty to folks with disabilities and in particular my son has spinal cord cancer and spinal cord injury so this is something that is very near and dear to my heart” states Dr. Amie Mclean.
Found on the TRUSU webpage, students can find the nomination form and select any women on campus who deserves recognition. From faculty and staff to students, anybody in the TRU community is eligible to be nominated. The criteria are as follows: Female identifying TRU student,staff or faculty excluding TRUSU members and have not won the award previously. The selection committee will be looking for a woman who has left an impact during her time at TRU and continues to be an inspiration to the people around her. This woman will be given a platform to share her message as well as give back to the community. This event opens opportunities for people to become inspired by the award winners as well as open networks for them to find resources and opportunities best suited for them. This event has news press, government officials, and other influential community members who all come together to celebrate the achievements of women.
When it comes to the betterment of the students and community, TRUSU aims to put their best foot forward. With this event approaching fast, students and community members are encouraged to get involved, nominate, and commemorate the amazing women of the TRU community. With the official date of the luncheon to be determined, keep an eye for the early month of March for International Women’s Day and the tentative dates.