St. Lawrence College is pleased to announce it will award four Honorary Diplomas at its Convocation ceremonies this spring in Cornwall, Friday, June 2, Brockville, Friday, June 9, and in Kingston, Thursday June 15 and Friday, June 16.
Cornwall Convocation – Friday, June 2
The Cornwall recipient is Dr. Natavarlal (Nat) Shah, a family physician who has been the driving force behind many Cornwall community programs and has been recognized for his service to many charities with the Humanitarian Award, Citizen of the Year, and the Order of Ontario, among others. Dr. Shah is also a co-founder of Child Haven International, which operates homes in India, Nepal, Tibet, and Bangladesh for destitute women and children. He will receive his Honorary Diploma at the 10:00 am Convocation ceremony.
Brockville Convocation – Friday, June 9
Two Honorary Diplomas will be conferred in Brockville, to Margaret Hudson, President of Burnbrae Farms and to Eleanor Newman, retired Executive Director of the Eastern Ontario Staff Development Network and former Senior Executive Officer in the Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat for the Ontario Ministry of Education.
Eleanor Newman had a successful career as an educator and continues to give back to the community as a member of the Board of Directors of the Brockville General Hospital and treasurer of the Brockville Community Choir. In 2002 Eleanor became the first woman to hold the leadership role as the Director of Education and Chief Executive Officer of the Renfrew County District School Board in Pembroke, ON. She will receive her Honorary Diploma at the 10:00 am ceremony.
As president of Burnbrae Farms, Margaret oversaw the donation of eggs and egg products to food banks and community organizations during the COVID pandemic, as well as significant financial donations to hospitals. In 2020, Margaret received the Golden Pencil award from the Food Industry Association of Canada, recognizing her contributions to the food industry, their company, and their community. Margaret will receive her Honorary Diploma at the 1:30 pm ceremony.
Kingston Convocation – Thursday, June 15 and Friday, June 16
The recipient of the Honorary Diploma in Kingston is Dr. Aba Mortley, Owner of Cher-Mere Spa, which provides esthetic services with a focus on natural eco-conscious personal care products for people of all ages and skin tones. Aba was instrumental in creating the “Texture with Confidence” project at SLC, aimed at filling a gap in the Kingston market to teach and support hair stylists working with textured hair. She has sat on many boards and committees, including the Queen’s University Council on Anti-Racism and Equity, where she was the co-chair and is committed to building an inclusive community in Kingston. In her service to the community, Aba has been the the recipient of a City of Kingston, Civic Award and the Nick Bala award for distinguished Service with Youth Diversion. She will receive her Honorary Diploma at the June 16 ceremony at 3:00 pm.
“We take great pride in conferring Honorary Diplomas each year at Convocation as a way to recognize truly outstanding individuals in our communities,” said Glenn Vollebregt, SLC President and CEO. “The recipients always offer great words of inspiration to our graduating classes, and we hope that they will remember them throughout their lives and careers.”
You can read more about the Honorary Diploma recipients at www.stlawrencecollege.ca/honorarydiploma
