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The Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education (CCAE) has announced that former student leader and advocate Catherine Haba, Artsci’22, is the recipient of the prestigious  at Queen’s University.

The fellowship, which is awarded to two emerging professionals in Canada each year, will see Catherine garner a broad range of skills in advancement and contribute to the development and implementation of the ’s first Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Indigeneity (EDII) strategic plan. 

While studying Global Development at Queen’s, Catherine helped remove barriers to support student success through mental health and inclusivity initiatives. She co-wrote and developed an EDII strategy as an undergraduate representative for the Faculty of Arts and Science. Her advocacy and leadership within volunteer positions shone even brighter as president of the , where she successfully lobbied for the creation of two additional admission awards aimed at diversifying student recruitment and led a call to action in response to the Black Lives Matters movement that motivated Queen’s students and alumni to raise more than $30,000. She continues to be involved as vice-president of partnerships within the Queen’s Black Alumni Chapter, an organization working to strengthen Queen’s global alumni network.

These accomplishments – along with many others – garnered Haba an outstanding reputation within the Queen’s community and beyond. In 2021, she received the Agnes Benidickson Tricolour Award, the highest tribute given by Queen’s to a student for distinguished service to the university. In 2017, she received the United Way Community Builder award and was named a delegate for Canada at the 2017 Youth Assembly at the United Nations in New York City.

Catherine says she has always been drawn to opportunities that allow her to use her passion and experience to make positive change. She says she has a great level of understanding of advancement through her professional experience in the non-profit sector at the United Way/Centraide Ottawa, and within Health Canada, where she works as a compensation assistant. 

“My accumulated experience and skills in this role alone strengthened my ability to be successful in the field of advancement, which involves multiple moving parts and interpersonal effective stakeholder communication,” she says. 

The fellowship, which begins on May 16, will see Catherine work with Advancement managers in Alumni Relations, Development, and EDII, and contribute to the development and implementation of the department’s first EDII strategic plan. She will gain experience in development, alumni relations, and university-wide engagement.

“We are deeply honoured to be participating in this program and want to thank CCAE and TD Insurance Meloche Monnex for this important initiative,” says Patricia Falzon, executive director of Principal Gifts in the Office of Advancement. “We are looking forward to working with Catherine in the coming year on these important projects and in support of our mission to foster relationships that advance Queen’s and contribute to a better world.”