Two stellar FPA students, Jordan Gray in the Bachelor of Global and International Studies (BGInS) and Shaked Karabelnicoff in Journalism, have won 2020 Provost Scholar Awards.
Jordan Gray also received one of university’s highest honours for an undergraduate, the Peter J. Ricketts Outstanding Provost Scholar Award. He was nominated for the award by History Professor Dominique Marshall.
Jordan Gray, Peter J. Ricketts Outstanding Provost Scholar Award
Imagine the scholarly equivalent of a pro athlete, and you have Jordan Gray. How else does an undergraduate conduct ten major research projects and present seven of those at conferences—five outside Canada—alongside his regular course work over four years?
But for Gray, who is graduating from the Bachelor of Global and International Studies (BGInS) program with a specialization in Global and Transnational History, it didn’t seem like work.
“Those projects nourished my desire to discover,” he says. “If you believe in a project or cause with your heart and soul, you’ll find a way to see it to the end.”
The first Carleton student to attend the World Congress on Undergraduate Research, Gray’s research focused primarily on marginalized groups.
For example, he worked with Carleton’s Centre for Indigenous Research, Culture, Language and Education on an Indigenous language revitalization project—and presented the results at the UN.
Then, at a BGInS learning opportunity in The Hague on international humanitarian law, came a powerful turning point.
“Law and justice are two different things,” says Gray, “and I learned that while governmental and institutional bodies often speak in terms of black letter law, people speak in terms of justice. I believe that tackling justice, equality and fairness in our country and globally requires that we address the law–justice dichotomy, and the need to reconcile that disconnect has influenced my academic career ever since.”
As the new graduate looks forward to his next steps, he’s grateful for the support of the FPA community.
“Faculty, staff, administrators were there for me, and for my fellow students, in so many ways.”
Shaked Karabelnicoff, 2020 Provost Scholar Award
“I’ve learned something new every single day at Carleton,” says Shaked Karabelnicoff. “Whether it’s a skill, like how to use camera equipment to film a television broadcast, or a life lesson, such as how to bounce back from a challenging time, every experience has shaped me.”
The third-year Journalism student, who is minoring in Religious Studies, is taking in as much as she can from university life – and she’s giving back, in spades.
She’s held executive positions in the Journalism Society, worked as a campus tour guide and community developer for Housing and Residence Life Services, and acted as research assistant in the I-CUREUS program.
“I’ve really learned the meaning of community,” Karabelnicoff reports. “I’ve developed a passion for community-building and peer mentorship.”
She’s gone off campus, too. Fluent in both Spanish and Hebrew, Karabelnicoff interned at the Jerusalem Post and at the Public Diplomacy Department of the Embassy of Israel in Ottawa.
And this past winter, as president of the Israel on Campus club, where she plans and coordinates events relating to Jewish and Israeli life and culture, Karabelnicoff helped head up a trip to Israel for student leaders across the country.
Leading the club is a role she particularly values.
“I can build meaningful connections with students across campus and promote peaceful conversation about controversial subjects,” Karabelnicoff reflects. “These experiences have taught me so much about the power of human connection and empathy.”
Wednesday, May 20, 2020 in Arthur Kroeger College of Public Affairs, Bachelor of Global and International Studies, Journalism, News, School of Journalism and Communication
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