On April 1, members of the Mount Allison community gathered to celebrate experiential learning, including internships, experiential-based courses, community service learning, simulation experiences, and applied research projects.  

“Experiential learning is intentional, reflective, accessible, and helps students put theory into practice, while connecting meaningfully with their communities, says Director of Experiential Learning and Career Development Rebecca Leaman. “At Mount Allison, it showcases innovative teaching, entrepreneurial ideas, social impact, and allows students to develop their professional and academic skills.” 

Since Fall 2019, over 3,000 students have participated in at least one experiential learning activity, with nearly 725,000 hours of work in over 8,600 total experiential learning activities.  

In 2025-26, 1,472 unique students participated in experiential learning activities at Mount Allison, including: 
    •    200 paid internships  
    •    2,500 academic/course-based experiences, including:  
    •    670 students participating in applied research projects,  
    •    850 students in case-based learning experiences 
    •    770 students participating in creative practice, performance, or exhibit activities  
 
“The Elevate Gala is to showcase some of the incredible work our students and faculty have done, but also to thank our community partners who mentor, coach, and support our students as they prepare for their professional careers,” says Leaman. 

Future NB & Future Wabanaki Recognition Awards 

Presented in recognition of a student’s engagement with experiential learning while at MtA. This could be through internships, community service learning, or other forms of experiential learning that make a positive impact on our communities.  

Md Abrer Rahman has shown incredible dedication and resilience throughout his internship at Petitcodiac Watershed Alliance. Even after needing to shift to remote work early on, he remained proactive, reliable, and fully committed to his work. 

Madiha Waqar has participated in many experiential learning from entrepreneurship to internships, course-based and more. Through her internship with Metafy, she helped grow its digital reach from a small audience to thousands of monthly visitors and developed an innovative research tool to analyze patterns in street names across Canada, addressing an important gap in the field. 
 

Harshil Patel made a strong and wide-reaching impact on the Mount Allison community. During his internship with University Advancement as the Layton Fisher Intern in Philanthropy, he played a key leadership role managing student volunteers during Reunion Weekend. 

Rachel Coady made an extraordinary impact during her internship with the Sackville Food Bank. She transformed their online presence by growing website traffic and reaching tens of thousands through social media, while also connecting directly with the community through events and outreach and was foundational in setting up Second Chances Thrift Store. 

Sydney McLean has shown wonderful initiative in her role as a student coordinator at the Mawita’mkw Centre, with a clear focus on strengthening student engagement and communication within the space. 
 
Student Entrepreneurship Awards  

Kelvin Apraku used his summer entrepreneurship internship to launch Luxora Auto Detailing, a mobile car detailing business serving Sackville, Moncton, Dieppe, and the surrounding area. 
 
Weylin Smith used his summer entrepreneurship funding to advance Open Shores, a social enterprise focused on creating supportive housing and community wellness programming in Joggins, NS. 

The Community Partner Award

Anthony Maddalena (‘17) from Bagtown Brewery has been a valued community partner for many years. Bagtown was originally established through an Entrepreneurship class at Mount Allison and Maddalena has grown it into a thriving social hub in Sackville. Maddalena now employs several student interns every year, mentoring and supporting interns’ professional development in marketing, product design, and distribution.

The Faculty Award  

The Together Time Faculty Team: Dr. Susie Andrews, Dr. Kiera Galway, and Dr. Jill Rourke 
 
Together Time is a literacy program established at Mount Allison in 2021 for youth and families in Southeastern NB and Cumberland County, NS. The program is led by co-directors Dr. Susie Andrews (Visual and Material Culture Studies), Dr. Jill Rourke (Chemistry & Biochemistry), and Dr. Kiera Galway (Music) and is supported by many Mount Allison student volunteers and interns and community partners.  

The Office of Experiential Learning and Career Development also recently hosted their annual Resumé Competition, providing each student with feedback on their resumé from two separate judges, just in time for summer job season: 

    •    First Place ($300): Claire Reinsborough-Wadden  
    •    Second Place ($100/each): Lucas Orfanides, Alistair Brown, Oliver Van Buskirk 

To learn more about experiential learning at Mount Allison, visit mta.ca/experiential