UNews - Kimoya Edwards

Pronghorns Women’s Hockey Alumni Foundation pays it forward

caroline.zentner — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 20:49:07 +0000

The past informs the present — it offers perspective and experience — and in the case of the Pronghorns Women’s Hockey Alumni Foundation, it offers generous support.

The hockey alumni group recently rewrote the parameters associated with its Women’s Hockey Alumni Award, redirecting the annual scholarship to benefit any continuing female student-athlete in any ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge degree program. Originally established in 2017 by the women’s hockey alumni chapter and its community supporters to support women’s hockey players, the endowed scholarship will continue to be awarded in perpetuity.

“We just really liked that the legacy of our program name can be there. We worked really hard to establish this scholarship and even though the team went away, the relationships we have with each other aren’t going away,” says Sam Schneyder (BSc ’07), a Horns standout from 2001 to 2007.

“It is an important legacy piece for us, because whether it was us as players and alumni donating to this award or people in the community who supported us, knowing that money is going to impact future female athletes is important,” adds Amy Van Buskirk (BA ’13), who played for the Horns from 2008 to 2013.

Kimoya Edwards, at right, is the first recipient of the rededicated scholarship. Photo by Lars Photography.

The first recipient of the rededicated award is third-year neuroscience student Kimoya Edwards. A track and field standout from Lethbridge Collegiate Institute, Edwards excels in sprints and hurdles. She said it was especially gratifying to learn former Pronghorn athletes are behind the award.

“It is so great knowing that there are more experienced individuals out there who understand what it’s like to be a student-athlete and the stress we experience and are willing to help,” says Edwards, who was nominated for the scholarship by her coach. “Receiving such a scholarship is a relief and provides more room to focus on other aspects of the student-athlete life.”

Schneyder and Van Buskirk say the award was designed to support athletes who best demonstrate team leadership by being able to balance academic achievement, community involvement and athletic excellence.

“The student-athletes I know, from both our women’s and men’s teams, when I run into them now, so many of them are active and contributing time to their communities and I really believe you learn that as a student-athlete,” says Schneyder, who has coached youth hockey for the last 10-plus years. “You can say it’s just a sport, it’s just a game and it is . . . but it’s not, because what we all got out of our experience is so much more.”

Both women reflect on the many people who supported them through their journeys as student-athletes, remembering the community events they took part in while wearing Pronghorns colours.

“Participating in those events was always a fun way to share our experiences and Pronghorn stories with the community, as well as create bonds and relationships with those who supported us,” says Van Buskirk. “Back then, we weren’t fully aware of the impact we were making, but I always left with an improved sense of community.”

Edwards is busy working three jobs, attending church and assisting with the church youth group and video graphic work that allows church members to watch services from home. She volunteers for Big Brothers and Big Sisters and at the Chinook Regional Hospital as well as for local community events. She’s also active in the ULethbridge community as a member of the Rotaract, Pre-Med and Black Students’ Association clubs.

“I love to give back to the community that has shown me what it means to be Kimoya Edwards,” she says. “As a Pronghorn athlete, it is very important to show our community that we are willing to be an active part of our surroundings and that we are not separated. The community has been there supporting us in our games, events and so much more, so by giving back through volunteering it tells Lethbridge that the Pronghorns are grateful and appreciative for their continued support.”

For Schneyder and the Pronghorns Women’s Hockey Alumni Foundation, it’s important the experiences that shaped their careers as student-athletes and set them up for success upon graduation will continue to be accessible for future generations of female athletes.

“The skills we learned as student-athletes, like the mental toughness to persevere, the time management skills, things like that are incredible. I didn’t know anything different than being a student-athlete but when I look back now, I believe I learned so much more because of that experience,” says Schneyder. “I’m excited that everyone who contributed to starting this scholarship will see that their money is still supporting women athletes pursuing their dreams.”

iGEM teams continue to work on their projects despite no lab access

caroline.zentner — Thu, 30 Apr 2020 15:38:05 +0000

Campus closures won’t stop these dedicated students! The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge undergraduate and high school iGEM teams are continuing their competition seasons even without access to wet lab space.

Using Zoom, shared online drives, and their own ingenuity, the teams have been connecting and are making the best of a bad situation. While they may not be able to get into the lab, teams still have many tasks to complete — writing papers, building a website, creating online workshops, organizing fundraisers and lots of research.

“We will not let this virus dampen our spirits and cancel iGEM for the year, so we’ve decided to make the best out of what we have,” says Kimoya Edwards, a Grade 11 student from Lethbridge Collegiate Institute (LCI). “There is a musical recital that was planned before this virus and as a team, we will continue with this recital virtually on May 23, because what’s a better way to liven the spirits than music?”

The high school team is also excited to participate in the online BioTreks conference May 2 and present their project paper: Understanding the mechanisms of small-scale composting and potential enzymatic improvements in pectin degradation using synthetic biology.

“Being a part of iGEM means a lot to our team members and our love for it is what keeps pushing us to continue,” says Shada Aborawi, a Grade 11 LCI student. “Even though we can’t use the lab for our project, we have found fun and easily accessible ways to further our research and make our project possible.”

This year the high school team chose to focus on making at-home composting as efficient as possible by engineering an enhanced pectin-degradation enzymatic pathway. Each team member will build a standardized composting unit at their own homes and record their observations and take samples of the microbial populations to hopefully analyze at a later date.

They will use advanced modeling techniques to predict important amino acid regions within pectin-degradation enzymes in order to create a theoretical minimal protein model. When the team is allowed to return to the lab, they will have lots of testing to complete.

From online fundraisers to YouTube channels to doing science at home, the high school iGEM team is getting it done!

“I am so proud of the resilience that the team has shown in the face of a very difficult situation. They are all still super excited about their project and we’re all learning together on how to translate a majority hands-on program to an online and at-home format,” says biochemistry instructor and team lead, Dr. Laura Keffer-Wilkes.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge iGEM undergraduate team is also staying busy this season and will focus on advancing the use of antimicrobial peptides to combat agricultural pests prevalent in Alberta and elsewhere.

“iGEM is more than the lab bench, there are several aspects that we need to consider,” says Dia Koupantsis, student leader for the iGEM undergraduate team 2020. “In order to form a project, you need to have in mind how that will affect the user and the environment, what are the purposes and your end goal, etc. Luckily, our team is composed of individuals from different fields which gives a broad view on the project.”

“Despite these unprecedented circumstances we are continuing to train our students through the iGEM program activities, including a dedicated synthetic biology course that is now offered online by the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry this summer,” says Dr. Angeliki Pantazi, biochemistry instructor and university team supervisor.

With the current global situation, the impact science and research can have on our society is clear. The iGEM program is a great way of introducing young people to science, technology, engineering, and math and help to solve real-world local and global problems.

To support the Lethbridge high school iGEM team, please consider donating to their GoFundMe page. For more information send an email to iGEM@uleth.ca.

Follow them on social media:

Instagram @lethbridgehsiGEM/@uleth.igem

Facebook @lethbridgehsiGEM/@LethbridgeiGEM

Twitter @LethHS_iGEM/@LethbridgeiGEM

UNews - Kimoya Edwards

Pronghorns Women’s Hockey Alumni Foundation pays it forward

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iGEM teams continue to work on their projects despite no lab access

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