Young Alumni of the Year Award

If you have graduated in the last 10 years, you may be eligible to receive the Saint Mary’s Young Alumni Award.

This distinction is presented to young alumni who display outstanding achievements that may have earned them regional, national or international recognition through: service to humanity, their profession, volunteerism or community service, the advancement of knowledge, or service to Saint Mary's University.

This award is granted to Saint Mary's University alumni within 10 years of receiving a bachelor's degree or within five years of receiving a graduate degree. A maximum of three candidates per year will be granted the young alumni award.

Selection candidates are considered annually by the Saint Mary's University Alumni Association's Awards & Nomination Committee.

Timeline

The nomination period is now closed.

2022 Recipients

Micah Brown BA’13

Micah Brown graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sociology from Saint Mary’s University in 2013. Prior to his time at SMU, Micah earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Marketing and Management from St. Paul’s College and went on to earn his Master’s degree in North American Studies from Philipps-University Marburg in Germany.

Micah is a retired professional athlete, entrepreneur and motivational speaker. He has enjoyed a successful 11 season professional football career in multiple countries, which included a World Championship for the U.S. National Team.

Micah is the owner of BATLX, a football-specific and high-performance training facility. In 2018, Micah and his wife Kelly founded the Halifax Harbour Hawks Football, a men’s league developmental football program.

Micah is a true leader in the community and on the field. He is dedicated to supporting and promoting inclusion for underrepresented athletes and coaches and giving back to the community through wellness.

Micah is supported by and a husband to Kelly (Saint Mary's graduate) and father to Jha’Siah and Jaxon Brown. (Future SMUdents). 

Dillon Ross BComm’17

Originally from Sydney, Nova Scotia, Dillon Ross obtained his Bachelor of Commerce from Saint Mary’s University in 2017. Dillon completed a double major in Human Resource Management and Industrial Relations and Marketing as well as a minor in French and a certificate in Human Resource Management.

Dillon works as the Manager of Human Resources for Sport Nova Scotia and supports both internal employees and numerous Provincial Sport Organizations across the province. Throughout his tenure with Sport Nova Scotia, Dillon leads and supports various equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility initiatives including the creation of EDIA specific positions to help service underrepresented Nova Scotians and provide access to sport opportunities. Dillon is also Inuk and works closely with the local Indigenous and BIPOC communities.

In addition to his work in human resources, Dillon also performs under the stage name Mya Foxx, an internationally recognized drag performer known for her high energy performances and choreography. Recently, Mya was featured on OutTv's hit show, Call Me Mother which features drag performers from across Canada competing for a grand prize. Mya is the first drag performer from the Maritimes to compete on a national competition show in Canada. Mya works diligently to provide opportunities to the BIPOC and 2SLGBTQ+ communities by providing performance opportunities for new artists and facilitating dance workshops to allow for queer adults to try dance in a safe and welcoming environment.

Dillon's passion about equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility is clear in both of his career paths and he plans on continuing to build on this work moving forward.

Ossama Nasrallah BComm'18 MBA'22

Ossama graduated from Saint Mary’s University with a Bachelor of Commerce in 2018 and returned to complete his MBA in 2022. During his time at Saint Mary’s, Ossama was the President & CEO of Saint Mary’s University Students’ Association (SMUSA) for two terms, where he served on multiple boards while gaining experience in advocacy, governance, and government relationships.

As a Small Business owner of the Harbour Watercraft, Sea Halifax and Nova Glamping Inc., Ossama Nasrallah brings passion for all things finance, community relations and management.

As a newcomer to Nova Scotia, Ossama values community engagement and the importance of giving back. He currently serves on multiple boards in Halifax and recognizes the importance of having a diverse and inclusive community. He was recently recognized as one of the Most Inspiring Immigrants in Atlantic Canada.

Ossama is a true representation of the Saint Mary’s entrepreneurial spirit.

Past Recipients

2021: Reha Purdasy BSc’19 & Timi Idris MA’19
2020: Ying (Wendy) Wang BComm’16 & Dave Culligan BComm’16
2019: Dr. Henry Annan BSc'14 & Sylvia Gawad BSc'14
2018: Michael Brown BComm'14
2017: Harry Ezenibe BA'14
2016: Erica Sosnowski EMBA'15
2015: Heather MacDonald & Jeff Mitchell
2014: Chanda Chilanga and Beth Hamilton
2013: Scott Noddin
2012: Saeed El Darahali
2011: Jacob Deng and Jeff Lohnes
2010: Khalid Waleed Alkhudair
2009: Jeff Britton
2009: Jennifer Walker

Share: Page Feedback