Education Partnerships 

Marine Institute of Memorial University 
2024-25 Scholarship Recipients
Fry Family Foundation Graduate Student Leadership Award
  • Kerri Lynch - Masters of Science student in Fisheries Science (Toronto, ON)

Vice President’s Fry Family Foundation Excellence in Leadership Award (Undergraduate)
  • Jasmine Burt -  Marine Environmental Technology Program  (Twillingate, NL)

Fry Family Foundation Leadership Award (Undergraduate)
  • Allison White -  Naval Architecture Program (Whitbourne, NL)
  • Kate Marshall -  Nautical Science Program (Chester, NS)
  • Samuel Warren -  Underwater Vehicles Program (Pasadena, NL)
  • Shannon Breen - Marine Environmental Technology (St. John's, NL)

​Fry Family Foundation Leadership Acknowledgement of Excellence​
  • Logan Rennie- Nautical Science (Nova Scotia)
Community Centre Alliance Recipients
In addition, FFF CCA Post-Secondary Scholarships are renewable for up to three additional years at MI. Congratulations to this year's award recipient who is a third year Marine Environmental Technology student. Learn more about the CCA's recipients here.
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Renewal:
Dr. Philip Warren Exceptional Achievement Scholarship - Tristin Clarke  
​Congratulations to Tristin on also being awarded the Hazen A. Russell Scholarship in Fisheries!

Winter 2025 Scholarship & Awards Presentation

Picture(L-R) Sam Warren, Kate Marshall, Marie Burt, Shannon Breen, Allison White
The Winter Scholarship and Awards Presentation was held at Marine Institute on March 20, 2025. The Fry Family Foundation Leadership Awards celebrate and encourage the development of leadership qualities that can be applied in our communities, at work and in the classroom. Six of these Awards were presented at the Ceremony. ​These Leadership Awards are a component of the FFF  Student Leadership Initiative at Marine Institute and are a reflection of the belief that, “It has been shown that students who began to understand the complexities of leadership at an early stage in their university education were more likely to step forward to take a leadership approach to their own personal and professional development”.​​​​ Each of these award recipients shared their thoughts on what Leadership means to them. 

​Graduate Student Leadership Award 

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Kerri Lynch is this year's recipient of the prestigious Fry Family Foundation Graduate Leadership Award. This is granted to a graduate student who demonstrates outstanding leadership throughout the course of his/her studies, through academic work, professional work placements (if applicable), and community involvement. Kerri is a Masters of Science Student in Fisheries Studies who believes, “I don’t consciously mean to be a leader; I don’t go into a new environment with that mindset. Often, I just want to understand what is going on and work to achieve whatever goal we are trying for. In this way, leadership is collaboration, it involves working as a team to get somewhere together."  Kerri is a part of the Marine Institute Graduate Students Society as the Seminar Coordinator. She is from Toronto, ON.

​Vice President’s Excellence in Leadership Award 

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Jasmine Burt is this year's recipient of the prestigious Vice-President's Fry Family Foundation Excellence in Leadership Award. It is granted to the undergraduate student in the final semester of a three or four year program at MI who has demonstrated outstanding leadership throughout the course of his/her studies. Jasmine is VP Internal of the Marine Institute Student’s Union. She is a Marine Environmental Technology student who shared, "As I've spent my last three years with the Marine Institute community, I’ve been able to observe and learn from incredible leaders and have the chance to be a leader for individuals in my community. I’ve come to understand the meaning of the word leadership, it's much deeper than just two adjectives. It’s self reflection and the ability to see people who may be struggling similarly in your community and have the desire to minimize that for others. Leadership is having to be selfless when you know someone may be better suited or will benefit from something more than you.”  Jasmine is from Lewisporte, NL and was also the recipient of the Dale Howse Memorial Award. 

​Undergraduate Leadership Awards

The Fry Family Foundation Leadership Awards are granted  to up to four undergraduate students who demonstrate outstanding leadership throughout the course of their studies at MI, through academic work, professional work placements (if applicable), and community involvement. ​​
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Allison White is VP Academic of the Marine Institute Student’s Union. Allison is a Naval Architecture student who believes, “Being a voice in a group is a big quality of leadership to me. It is important to communicate to others in the company or on the same project team as it helps to bring everyone together and keeps everyone on the same page about the work being done. A leader will do the work the best they can, see the mistakes made, and ask how to fix it. By doing this, people tend to assume you are showing weakness when in reality it takes more guts to ask what you are doing wrong. And that is a quality of a leader in a work place.”  Allison is from Whitbourne, NL.
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Kate Marshall  is President of the Marine Institute Student’s Union. Kate is a student in the Nautical Science Program who believes, “A leader that will listen to the people they are in charge of widens their view, it creates a space where more solutions can be produced with ideas that they may not have thought of on their own. Effective leadership creates a safe environment where people feel empowered to speak up, fostering teamwork and preventing setbacks like collisions or misunderstandings. By leading with empathy and non-bias, encouraging kindness and understanding can shape others, guiding younger generations to become leaders who inspire trust and respect.”  Kate is from Chester, NS.
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Samuel Warren  is an Underwater Vehicles Program student who believes, “Leadership is more than just a title, it’s about inspiring, encouraging, and making a meaningful impact. I often look at the great leaders around me and watch how their actions shape the environment and the people they influence. True leadership isn’t just about guiding a team, it’s about uplifting others, fostering resilience, and creating an environment where people feel empowered to grow.”  Samuel is  from Pasadena, NL and was also the recipient of the Pikalujak Fisheries Limited Partnership Scholarship.
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Shannon Breen is Councilor At-Large of the Marine Institute Student’s Union. Shannon is a Marine Environmental Technology student who believes, “Leadership is not just about guiding others but about being there for them in their hardest moments. It’s about empathy, resilience, and the willingness to show up when it matters most. These are the qualities I will carry with me into my career and every leadership role I take on in the future.”  Shannon is from St. John's, NL and was also the recipient of the Hazen A. Russell Scholarship in Fisheries.

​Nautical Skills Competition
Once again, FFF were invited to observe Nautical Science, Marine Engineering, and Engineering  students as they participated in the 13th Annual Nautical Skills Competition at the Marine Institute. This event challenges students to tackle high-pressure real life scenarios at sea. The Competition is facilitated by Master Mariners of Canada in collaboration with the Marine Institute.  It's also a great opportunity for the high school students who are included on the teams and exposed to the competition. This competition is made possible through many volunteers, including three amazing FFF Alumni who we had the chance to chat with during the tour; Christopher Rafuse, Captain Samantha Strowbridge and Reagan Clements. Christopher is a graduate of the Nautical Science program and was the recipient of the FFF Leadership Acknowledgement of Excellence in 2022 and 2024. Samantha is an alumna of the Bachelor of Maritime Studies (Maritime Management) program and  recipient of a 2007-08 FFF Diploma of Technology Leadership Scholarship. Samantha also received a Next Wave Leadership Award for her work breaking barriers as the first female offshore captain with Atlantic Towing. Reagan is a graduate of the Nautical Skills program and was the recipient of a 2019-20 FFF Leadership Award. Events like this help bridge the gap between classroom learning and the realities of a career at sea, preparing students for the challenges ahead. Watch the CBC news clip. Read how Students navigate simulated sea emergencies at  Nautical Skills Competition .

​Leadership Acknowledgement of Excellence - Nautical Skills Competition

Picture(L-R) Captain Kris Drodge and Logan Rennie
The Fry Family Foundation Leadership Acknowledgement of Excellence Award is presented at the annual Nautical Skills Competition. Logan Rennie is this year's recipient of this award. This recognition was developed to acknowledge a participant of the Nautical Skills Competition that effectively communicates with team members and demonstrates strong operational group management; consistently exhibits exceptional and dynamic leadership skills by recognizing and harnessing the strengths of each team member in solving the tasks presented; encourages and maximizes group participation and contributes to effective bridge resource management; and demonstrates the development of leadership qualities that can be applied at home, in the classroom, at work and in the community
Fry Family Foundation