2026 Board Award Recipient
Sean Joe-Ezigbo is the 2026 Board Award Recipient
For Sean Joe-Ezigbo, strong family ties and the university’s iconic tunnel system built for Canadian winters helped bring him to campus from Lagos, Nigeria.
Initially drawn to economics, Joe-Ezigbo switched into the Bachelor of Commerce program so that he could join the Sprott Student Investment Fund — a student-run investment portfolio where students get the rare chance to manage real money and build practical investing skills.
“I really like the way the business program is set up and how interactive it is,” he says.
“It prepares you for the real world.”
That decision marked the start of a personal commitment to push beyond his comfort zone. By second year, he set out to, “do more things, meet more people and just explore”, a mindset that led him to the Carleton University Students’ Association. He first served as vice-president Finance before being elected President, helping launch student-focused initiatives like the CUSA Breakfast Club and the Student Discount Card Program.
Joe-Ezigbo also volunteered with his church and the Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa, deepening his commitment to community service. His leadership earned him the 2026 Board of Governors Award for Outstanding Community Achievement.
As he prepares to graduate, Joe-Ezigbo plans to return to Nigeria to give back to his community, with long-term goals of pursuing graduate studies and contributing to Nigerian politics.
His advice to future students is simple: embrace opportunity.
“If someone else can do it, they are human just like me, so I can do it too,” he says.
“Anything is possible with faith.”