The hardworking student staff in Athletics and Recreation were recognized for their dedication at the Student Leadership Awards breakfast hosted by the Department of Athletics and Recreation. Their tireless efforts over the past year have enabled the delivery of high-quality athletics programs and services despite the increased traffic through the facilities. It is clear that the Athletics and Recreation department's success is only possible with these student leaders' valuable contributions.

"Our department owes a great deal of gratitude to our exceptional student leaders who contribute significantly to all areas of our operations and programs," said recreation senior manager Adam Steeves. "Our programs would not exist without their invaluable support, and we always look forward to the opportunity to gather together to acknowledge and celebrate their outstanding work."

The following were the Student Leadership Awards presented at the breakfast:

Judson Whiteside Award Winners

Bharat Shamsukha 

Over his time working as an official for almost all of our sports leagues, Bharat has always been counted on not just to show up on time but to do so with a positive attitude and desire to ensure that everyone else has a fun, fair, and safe experience playing in intramurals. He made the lives of League Staff and assignors easy by always being available and eager to work! Bharat was one of the first referee mentors, a new position to help all officials. He guided and provided his expertise to these officials while conducting evaluations, working with them on assignments, or just when he was around the buildings. He has worked in hundreds of games, such as basketball, volleyball, soccer, flag football, ultimate, sloop pitch, and dodgeball. 
 

Sydney Denstedt-Barr 

Over the past four years, Syd has been involved in various aspects within the Athletics Department, often holding or being involved in multiple programs, activities or roles concurrently. Syd started as a member of the Artistic Swimming Club, then took on an executive role, quickly moving into the ranks as President and one of the club's coaches. Meanwhile, Syd was a member of other competitive clubs during this time and became a member of the Aquatics staff and a Lifeguard & Instructor. Syd has demonstrated fantastic leadership and teaching abilities as she perused additional roles within the department as a First Aid Trainer and then as the First Aid Student Program Coordinator. Syd has been a mentor and friend for other staff and club members in many capacities, advocating for those within her reach.  

Event Staff Leadership Award - Sam Vero  

Starting as a PAC Facilities Staff member, Sam Vero brought her strong leadership and enthusiasm to the Event Staff team. Taking on our Student Lead role, she has left a lasting impression on the staff team. She exemplifies and upholds the standard of expectation. She contributed countless hours executing varsity games and external rentals. Her impact has set the staff team up for future success.

Facilities Staff Leadership Award - Ashkan Hashemi 

Since starting in 2018, Ash has been an asset to the team with his critical thinking and ability to lead. He has worked in many places, including CIF, Events, and PAC. Ash has always shown a positive work ethic while in Facilities and is someone that the Coordinators rely on when jobs need to be done. His experience across all buildings makes him stand out, and we thank Ash for his time in Facilities for the last six years. 

Game Day Staff Leadership Award - Tianna Dip 

Tianna joined the game day team this year as the Social Media Coordinator. She proved to be highly adaptable and quick to learn new tasks. We never had to worry about her work because she was always on her game. She was diligent and reliable in executing all the tasks assigned to her. She could cover up to eight sports in one night, home and away, showcasing her steadfast dedication to her work. Her remarkable performance and work ethic made her a valuable asset to the game-day team. 

Marketing Leadership Award - Diane Choi

 Diane Choi began her journey with the Marketing team during her first year as a volunteer. Since then, she has progressively advanced within the department, proving herself a highly valuable team member. Diane has taken the lead on numerous events and is poised to further her growth as the sports marketing co-op starting in the fall of 2024. She has demonstrated exceptional leadership and organizational skills, playing a pivotal role in executing various events. Her dedication and commitment to excellence make her a standout team member.

 Wellness Promotion Leadership Award - Caitlyn Kwong 

 As a Social Media Content Creator, previous Move Your Mind Coordinator, and referee, Caitlyn's infectious energy and inviting nature continue to engage students and build community. She can often be found with a mini-mic in her hand, approaching strangers or enthusiastically encouraging her peers to try something new. Her creativity and ideas are a driving force behind the @wloorec Instagram account, promoting participation in Warrior Recreation programs and the impact this can have on wellbeing and student experience. Caitlyn's leadership and ability to uplift those around her have significantly influenced the Rec social team and the stories being shared. 

Outstanding Move Your Mind Volunteer - Mick Wang

Mick has been a greatly appreciated Move Your Mind Volunteer since Winter 2023. Demonstrating patience, commitment, and initiative, Mick has supported multiple students' wellbeing and participation in Warrior Recreation programs by helping to remove barriers, providing accountability, and ensuring they feel comfortable and welcome in our spaces. 

Aquatic Leadership Award - Mike Brown

 Mike's charisma and dedication to the lifeguard team have been felt and known from his interest in serving in a larger capacity than just a lifeguard. Over the past two years, Mike has stepped up and grown tremendously as Student Program Coordinator - Lifeguard Operations. He has demonstrated a keenness to make sure all other lifeguards feel heard and have the tools and skills needed to show up at their best. Mike's friendly persona around the PAC building is always felt as he bops around with his skateboard in hand and a smile on his face. He will be greatly missed as he 'retires' from his role and moves on to bigger things.  

Camp Leadership Award - Kennedy Jardin & Jon Van Schubert 

 It's fitting that these two will share the camp award based on how well they worked together to ensure the 2023 Warrior Camps ran smoothly. Jon and Kennedy were both able to tackle difficult situations and help lead a large staff team while creating a safe and fun environment for all campers. Their efforts will set a benchmark for future assistant Camp Coordinators. 

Climbing Wall Leadership Award - Ellie Wolfe

 Ellie has worked at the climbing wall for more than three years in all areas of the job. Ellie found her calling within the role when she took the lead in the setting program. Through her leadership, Ellie efficiently led a team of setters to help support the climbing community's needs in a timely and effective manner. Ellie always supports her fellow team members and looks for what is best for the gym. 

ESPORTS Leadership Award - Jackie Yi

 Jackie is one of the cornerstones of Warriors Esports. His dedication to supporting others, his drive to continually challenge the status quo, and his commitment to having one of the best broadcast streams in the country are just some of the reasons he is so integral to our community. Today we recognize his achievements and congratulate him on his continued commitment to supporting the esports program at Waterloo. 

Fitness and Instructional Leadership Award - Claire Harvey

Claire has been a fitness instructor with Warrior Recreation since September 2022 and has experience teaching a variety of fitness class styles. She vibrantly shares her passion for fitness with others and volunteers to help promote our classes during opportunities like Athletics Open Houses. Claire brings enthusiasm, care, and attention to detail to every fitness class she teaches. 

Fitness and Instructional Leadership Award - Raven Sim

Raven began instructing dance classes with Warrior Recreation in September 2022. Since then, She has proven to be a dependable, passionate, and caring instructor. She has taught numerous styles of dance classes, including ballet, jazz and musical theatre, lyrical and contemporary, and group fitness classes! When she is not teaching or participating in one of our classes, Raven is a proud ambassador of our programs and gladly volunteers her time to share her passion for dance and fitness with others. 

Intramural Sport Leadership Award - Bharat Shamsukha

 Over his time working as an official for almost all of our sports leagues, Bharat has always been counted on not just to show up on time but to do so with a positive attitude and desire to ensure that everyone else has a fun, fair, and safe experience playing in intramurals. He made the lives of League Staff and assignors easy by always being available and eager to work. Bharat was one of the first referee mentors, a new position to help all officials. He guided and provided his expertise to these officials while conducting evaluations, working with them on assignments, or just when he was around the buildings. He has worked in hundreds of games, such as basketball, volleyball, soccer, flag football, ultimate, sloop pitch, and dodgeball. 

Sport Club Leadership Award - Everett Patterson 

Everett has been an integral part of the ultimate community, joining the club in 2021 and quickly becoming a captain on the B team. He moved up to the A team the following year and has been a leader ever since. Everett has shown his passion and leadership on and off the field, organizing tournaments and finances and being a key communicator with the school. As our executives are changing over this year, Everett has been a critical player in welcoming the new faces and helping to teach them and answer every question they need while balancing defending his Ph.D. If anyone in the club has a question or needs anything at all, they know to go to it. As he slowly steps back to focus on his school, we greatly appreciate his leadership and commitment to the club.

 

Strength and Conditioning Leadership Award - Ella Grammatikos

Ella started working with Conditioning in Winter 2022 as the Conditioning Assistant, where she completed an 8-month co-op. During this time, she was heavily relied upon to ensure our programming ran smoothly and our fitness centers provided top-level service. She showcased her responsibility, reliability, and organizational skills beyond what a co-op is required to do. Since then, she has continued to work with us as a senior-level trainer, helping to bridge the gap between women (cis and trans) and the weight rooms. 

 

Training Leadership Award - Sydney Denstedt-Barr

 Syd's continued interest in growing within the department has been evident as she took on the role of First Aid Student Program Coordinator, on top of the other million roles she holds within our department. Syd has been integral in supporting other internal teams (lifeguards & risk management) in ensuring that all student staff have the skills required to provide First Aid to our patrons by being a part of these areas' hiring/training processes. She is highly organized and ensures that all areas within her portfolio go off without a hitch. 

Outstanding Graduating Student Leaders 

Facilities & Events:

Marketing and Communications:

 Recreation: