Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health (CERH) held its combined White Paper Day and Donor Appreciation Event on August 16th, 2024. This day celebrates the remarkable achievements of Gateway CERH’s research assistants, as well as sending a heartfelt thank you to the dedicated donors who make their work possible. The main sponsor of this event was Libro Credit Union.
Held at the Comfort Inn & Suites in Goderich, Ontario, this event featured presentations by each research assistant, showcasing the work that they accomplished. The research assistants were provided the opportunity to share their experiences and progress, each speaking on their respective projects to an audience of donors and sponsors, local representatives, Gateway CERH board members and research chairs, and family members.
Highlighted below, are the projects that each research assistant has been working on and their current educational pathway.
Nicole Gilroy is a second year One Health student at the University of Guelph. During her time at Gateway CERH this summer, Nicole has worked on the Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Project, as well as assisted with the Legion Learning & Lounge Programs, and Benefitting Rural Area Volunteer Emergency Firefighters (BRAVE-F) Project. Additionally, she has shifted her focus to adopt the One Health approach to future Gateway CERH projects.
Neil Haas is a third year Kinesiology student at Western University. At Gateway CERH this summer, Neil has worked on the Farmers' Health & Safety Project, as well as assisted with the Skilled Healthcare Attraction and Retention Project (SHARP).
Joel Hordijk is a first year Medical Student at St. George's University in Grenada. Prior to medical school, he is a graduate in Honours Health Science from the University of Ottawa. During his time at Gateway CERH, Joel has worked as a project lead on SHARP and Farmer's Health & Safety. He also assisted with the Legion Learning & Lounge Programs during the technology set up. Joel wrote grants for both projects, and organized Gateway CERH's third Discovery Healthcare Camp (DHC) this past July.
Sage Milne is a graduate with her Honours Specialization in Global Health Studies at Huron University at Western University. Sage has been involved with the Virtual Lecture Series since 2022 and has helped with a variety of projects including Cultivating Memories, and Growing Raising Eating Accessible Thriving (GREAT) Local Food. This summer, she has acted as project lead on BRAVE-F. Starting in
September, she will be attending the University of Guelph for her Master's program in Rural Planning & Development.
Maitland Roy is a fourth year Honours Integrated Science student at Western University. This summer, Maitland has worked on the BRAVE-F Project. Maitland organized the first two pilot screening sessions in Bayfield and Seaforth and wrote grant applications to help fund the project.
Sarah Spacek is a recent high school graduate from St. Anne's in Clinton, Ontario, where she will be returning for a fifth year this fall. During this summer, she has been working on the Health in Huron event, preparing marketing materials, and writing letters for sponsorship. She also was an honourary attendee of Discovery Healthcare Camp (DHC) and a Gateway CERH camp leader.
Amy Sturgeon is a graduate from Carleton University with a BA Honours in Sociology with a double minor in Women & Gender Studies and Biology. Since last August, Amy has been grant writing, assisting with SHARP, and spearheading new projects at Gateway CERH. Her main focus has been the Legion Learning & Lounge Programs, which has transpired from ideation to full completion. She continues to assist with other projects, such as the planning of White Paper Day.
About Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health
Founded in 2008 in the community of Seaforth, ON, Gateway CERH is a not-for-profit rural health research organization run by a community-based volunteer board of directors. Gateway CERH's main mission is to better the health and quality of life of rural residents through research, education and communication. Learn more on the Gateway CERH website at: https://www.gatewayruralhealth.ca/ and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube
Comments