Impactful Education: Graduate Student Award

This student award recognizes a graduate nursing student who exhibits overall excellence academically, clinically and collegially. They use their increased knowledge to take initiative, navigate change and engage their colleagues and community.

Nomination Process

Nominations are welcomed from any students and faculty members from any University of Calgary faculty as well as preceptors and others in the health-care field. The nominee must agree to the nomination.

A completed nomination form must be accompanied by at least two signed letters of reference, one from a faculty member or preceptor who can speak directly to the criteria. One of the two letters may be from the nominator.

Only completed nominations will be accepted (see the nomination form for details). If your nomination is missing any of the supporting documentation, it will be returned to you for completion if there is time. 

Use Criteria with Examples

We strongly encourage you to explicitly incorporate the criteria of the specific award with clear examples for each criteria when writing your letter of nomination or support. This not only assists you, as nominator, to highlight the important and relevant attributes of your nominee, it gives the selection committee very clear details about the qualifications of the candidate with examples of their achievements and enhances the overall nomination.

Please Reference the Correct Award and Category

We know many people are asked to submit letters of support for deserving nominees for a UCalgary Nursing Spark Award. We also recognize that many of you write multiple letters for the same person for different awards. We, therefore, ask you to please carefully proofread your letter so that you are making reference to supporting your nominee for a Spark Award ONLY (not a U Make a Difference, a President’s Award for Excellence in Student Leadership, etc).

While referring to another award may not disqualify your candidate, it does not reflect positively on your commitment to the nomination for a UCalgary Nursing Spark Award.

• Demonstrates excellence in their particular field of practice
• Engages in leadership within the faculty and/or community through participation in student governance, volunteerism and/or knowledge exchange
• Exhibits commitment to their personal wellbeing and that of their fellow students
• Displays authenticity, inclusivity, compassion, resilience and respect toward peers, faculty members, clients/patients and communities