Business graduate Justin Mihaly was presented with the prestigious University of Guelph Walter N. Vaughan Medal at the June 20 convocation ceremony. The Medal was established in honour of the late Walter Vaughan, a former secretary of the University of Guelph Senate and a man who was committed to student involvement in university governance. This award is presented to a student with high academic standing who has made a substantial contribution to student life and to the University, particularly through involvement in and commitment to Senate activities.
In presenting the award to Justin, Associate Vice-Provost Academic, George Bragues, commented on his accomplishments.
“As an enthusiastic and effective student representative on the U of G Senate, Justin Mihaly demonstrated an ability to foster relationships between administrators and students and between the main campus and the University of Guelph-Humber.
During his undergraduate studies in business administration at Guelph-Humber, he demonstrated exceptional service to wider University governance. After joining the Senate in 2020, he served as student Senate caucus co-chair and was an active and engaged member of Senate committees on quality assurance, bylaws and membership, and priorities and planning. He also represented undergraduate students on the strategic framework refresh committee, the student budget committee and the U of G Board of Governors.
Described by his peers as a strong and committed student leader, Justin displayed leadership and an ability to articulate questions, offer perspectives and challenge assumptions in a collegial, positive and respectful manner. His informative and insightful Senate reports as caucus co-chair helped advance the student perspective on issues ranging from accessibility of campus facilities to academic programming and the impact of COVID-19 on the student experience.
His contributions have encouraged other students to speak and engage with main Senate and with Senate subcommittees. Justin’s support of constructive engagement has served to foster connectivity and mutual understanding of issues.
Among his honours, he received the 2022 Michael Nightingale Community Enrichment Award for significant contributions to the University of Guelph-Humber community.
Through his commitment to the day-to-day workings of Senate and his broader contributions to U of G governance, Justin Mihaly has exemplified the spirit of the Walter Vaughan Medal.”