The award recognizes the student who has achieved the highest academic standing upon graduation from a VIU master’s degree program.
Monir Shahzeidi recently finished a Master of Arts in Sustainable Leisure Management at VIU. Beyond just graduating, however, she is also the recipient of this year's Governor General’s Academic Gold Medal award. The annual award recognizes the student who has achieved the highest academic standing upon graduation from a VIU master’s degree program.
Monir Shahzeidi
“It is absolutely the most honorable award I could even imagine in my life,” says Monir. “I feel proud and am grateful for the recognition of my research, which was made possible from the amazing support I received at VIU.”
The recognition “motivates me to pursue my passion even stronger than before and promote equity, diversity and inclusion through my research,” she adds.
Monir's research thesis focuses on the influence of leisure on the quality of life of refugees, as well as on people’s behaviour during outdoor recreative activities.
Asked about what drew her to pursue the Master of Arts in Sustainable Leisure Management at VIU, Monir said:
Prior to starting my master’s, I was a CPA student. However, I have been engaged in leisure and tourism as a research assistant and also as my personal interest. I worked as a research assistant and was actively engaged in nature-based tourism research at the University of Alberta and the University of Northern BC. I decided to switch to leisure and tourism management as it fits well with my interests. The Master of Arts in Sustainable Leisure Management program at VIU was a great opportunity for me to pursue this goal. I aim to contribute to knowledge generation through collaborative research and bridge my experiences to theoretical perspectives, practical applications and rigorous research, and the MASLM program provided me with this opportunity.
Check out the full story of Monir's path in the MA SLM program and her future as a researcher: https://www.viu.ca/blog/accounting-student-graduate-researcher