This year's winners of Dal's top student leadership honour provide a compelling snapshot of what meaningful impact looks like at the university right now.
These four individuals have shaped communities and conversations about accessibility in medical training, human connection in care, peer mental-health advocacy and inclusive leadership.
Get to know Dal's Board of Governors' Award recipients for 2025-2026, announced at the Imapct Awards Wednesday (March 26), below.
Redefining what's possible in medicine
RJ Roggeveen
Third year, Doctor of Medicine (MD)
When RJ Roggeveen received his acceptance letter to Dalhousie Medical School, the moment carried both excitement and uncertainty: what would medical school look like as a learner with a disability, and would it truly be possible to succeed?
“Getting that acceptance letter felt like Dalhousie also believed we could make this work,” he recalls. “It was one of the most amazing days for me.”
The medical school’s first full‑time wheelchair user, RJ’s journey has been shaped by advocacy grounded in lived experience and strengthened by community. RJ worked with an interprofessional team to create policies and procedures for wheelchair users in the operating room. These policies supported RJ’s successful completion of his surgical rotations and are in place for future medical student success.
Beyond the classroom, he co‑founded the Disabled Not Dead Society, a Nova Scotia nonprofit focused on peer support and mentorship for individuals living with mobility limitations and chronic pain.
“Being part of a community where we connect, build skills, and support one another keeps me energized and grounded,” he says. “That’s been especially important during clerkship.”
RJ, who is Métis from Kelowna, B.C., also finds support through the Indigenous Medical Student Society, where shared learning with peers informs his approach to caring for Indigenous patients.
Now in his third year, RJ is focused on turning his experiences into practical tools for others. With the confidence gained through training, he hopes to develop educational videos that demonstrate how clinical skills can be adapted for learners with disabilities.
“I want to continue pushing inclusion in medicine and health care, especially for young people with disabilities, so they know this is a possible career path,” he says. “Now that I’m further along in clerkship, I feel like I have something concrete to contribute.” — Kate Rogers
Healing through compassion, care, and music
Sherry Eskander
Third year, Doctor of Medicine (MD)
When Sherry Eskander thinks back to what led her to pursue medical school, one moment stands out: her time as an advanced medical first responder on campus.
“We were at an event, one of the patients required urgent care but a lot didn’t go as planned and the ambulance was delayed,” says Eskander. “Everything turned out OK, but it was in that moment that I knew I wanted to do more.”
Receiving her acceptance letter only deepened the feeling. “That’s when it really hits you. It’s the beginning of the opportunity to support people when they’re vulnerable and give them the compassionate care you would like your family to receive.”
Eskander says creating space and opportunities for students to connect with each other and with the communities they serve drives her work.
One way Eskander herself connects with patients is through music. In 2023, she founded the Artful Wellness Program, leading art-based wellness activities, workshops and events. She also re-established the Music in Medicine Band program, which performs concerts in hospitals and nursing homes, providing therapeutic music experiences for patients.
“What really drew me in the early stages of learning an instrument was the joy and peace music can bring,” she says. “There are unspoken words and emotions that each of us carries, and music can be a way to express, process, and heal.”
Eskander also coordinates the Teddy Bear Clinic school program, has coordinated the newcomer health preschool eye clinic, worked as a swim instructor for children with disabilities, and served as pre-clerkship liaison for Operation Smile, a program that advocates for children born with cleft palate conditions.
Asked what advice she would give prospective medical school applicants, Eskander — a former member of the Dalhousie medical school admissions committee— says to be yourself.
“It may sound cliché, but it’s essential to take the time to reflect and understand who you are—your values, motivations, and goals. At the end of the day, that’s what’s being accepted – a person who will use their talents and knowledge, as well as their energy and passion.” — Tanis Trainor
Championing student wellness and support
Evan Treffler
Third year, BSc in Medical Sciences
Evan Treffler’s busy schedule could easily feel overwhelming, but the Medical Sciences student says there’s a reason it doesn’t: he makes sure he spends time on stuff he cares deeply about.
There are his studies, of course, and his multiple jobs and volunteer commitments, which are all dedicated to supporting others in the community — particularly his fellow students.
Evan serves as Dal’s first-ever wellness champion and co-president of Dal’s chapter of Jack.org, a Canadian charitable organization focused on youth mental health. “There are a lot of ways we can support each other and foster peer support,” he says. “Even small things, like checking in with a friend or letting someone know they’re not alone, can help students face the challenges in their lives.”
Evan aims to empower others in all he does.
“My goal is to help students learn the skills and find the supports and resources they need to navigate their university experience and beyond,” says Evan, who organized January’s Mental Health Awareness Week with Dalhousie Student Health & Wellness.
Evan’s efforts extend beyond campus, too. Earlier this year, he participated in a Mental Health Commission of Canada roundtable, contributing student perspectives to the National Standard for Mental Health and Well-Being for Post-Secondary Students.
Born and raised in Bedford, Evan hopes to remain in Nova Scotia after graduation and eventually practice family medicine, bringing mental health advocacy into his everyday work as a physician.
He’s already getting recognized for his impact in the province. In December 2025, he received the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission Youth Award.
“If I can support people both physically and mentally, and do my part for the community, that’s something I’d be honoured to do.” — Kenneth Conrad
Empowering youth through inclusive action
Wateen Sadek
Fourth year, BSc in Neuroscience
Wateen Sadek’s leadership bona fides are extensive — student council co-president in high school, summer camp instructor for Dalhousie’s SuperNOVA, peer mentor for Together@Dal, and the list goes on. But her approach to leadership shifted when she joined the Dalhousie Student Leadership Academy in her third year.
“I learned that I do not need to change who I am to fit a certain image of a leader,” she says. “It’s about embracing who you are, owning your voice, and leading in a way that is grounded in your values.”
Leading this way helps you create space for others to do the same, she adds. “It builds trust, fosters genuine connection, and makes leadership more human and impactful.”
Wateen’s commitment to building genuine connections has defined many of her academic and extracurricular pursuits, including her role as a peer educator with Dal’s Office for Equity and Inclusion. She often draws upon her own life experiences for guidance. Born in Toronto, she then spent 12 years living in the United Arab Emirates.
“I was exposed to diverse identities, perspectives, and lived experiences,” she says. “It helped me better understand what genuine inclusion and belonging should look like in practice — not just as a concept, but as something intentionally created.”
She answered a need to support middle-school youth interested in STEM in her role as senior outreach director for the Dalhousie Science Scholars & Leaders Society by co-founding a tutoring program. Such early intervention can support students before they disengage, build their confidence, and expose them to unforeseen opportunities.
“Our goal is to support students early on in ways that empower them to become changemakers, so they can carry that impact forward and uplift others, creating a lasting ripple effect across future generations,” she says. — Graeme Gunn
This year's recipients at the Impact Awards on Wednesday, March 26. (Nick Pearce photo)