Sheridan College’s Athletic Therapy Program awarded 14 different awards to their students this year.
These awards range from various memorial awards to scholarships and represent more than just academic excellence, they represent the hard work that each recipient showed throughout their time at Sheridan College.
“We want to definitely recognize the fourth year students that are graduating after such a long four years,” said Sheridan Health Sciences (Athletic Therapy) program coordinator Paul Brisebois.
These awards aim to highlight the achievements and excellence of students in the program, while also having further impact than just that. Some of these awards provide opportunities for students as they embark on their careers in the field. Others highlight those who illustrate the qualities of the ones that paved the way before them.
“We just want to make sure that we continue to grow this scholarship program,” said Brisebois. “To bring awareness to our profession, into the program at Sheridan, and that we keep providing opportunities to our students.”
When selecting the recipients for these awards, the process is not easy as there are so many great candidates for each award. The awards are not just given out to the students with the highest grades, but to the students that have shown the most interest, resilience and work ethic throughout their time at Sheridan.
Many students submitted an application to a certain award or internship. This application process helped learn more about the student, and the journey that got them to where they are today.
“The biggest thing is that every award, whether it’s from Blue Jays to Anne Hartley to the Fred Dunbar entrepreneurship to Dr. Michael Reierson or Wade Whitten, Loi Quach, Michelle Kukta, all of these awards go on and on, are there for a purpose,” said Brisebois.
The Toronto Blue Jays Baseball Scholarship is among the awards handed out every year. For over 40 years this competitive honor has provided the selected student with a unique internship opportunity to gain work experience in the field.
“The successful candidate spends all 81 home games out of the 162-game season assisting our staff with the day to day activities,” said Blue Jays Assistant Athletic Trainer Drew Macdonald.
The selection process for this award is not easy, as only one student in the program is chosen every year. This year’s recipient was David Loiacano.
“In David’s application he highlighted his passion for baseball both as a player growing up and as a student therapist,” said Macdonald. “It was very evident to our staff that he had an interest to continue to grow within the baseball setting.”
“To be involved in professional baseball at the highest level is kind of a dream come true for most people, and I have that opportunity so, super grateful,” said Loiacano. “The thing I’m looking forward to the most is just seeing the everyday life of therapists and professional athletes at the highest level.”
The Anne Hartley Award of Excellence in Athletic Therapy is another very important and special award to Sheridan College.
Hartley was a faculty member in the Athletic Therapy program here at Sheridan and this award demonstrates her excellence.
“She is an exceptional person, exceptional clinician, and someone that everybody in the profession definitely looks up to,” said Brisebois.
The recipients of the Anne Hartley Award of Excellence need to show strong work ethic and show commitment to the profession itself. That is what Megan Devogelaere and Madeleine Serpa, the two recipients of this award, have shown throughout their time here at Sheridan College.
“When I got the announcement that I was one of the recipients, I was very honored, because Anne Hartley is one of the pioneers of the program, and she’s constantly talked about the mark she’s left on the profession,” said recipient Megan Devogelaere.
“We’re really proud of the awards that we’ve helped to create, but also have helped to maintain over the years,” said Brisebois. emphasizing the significance of each of the awards that are given out each year.
All of the award winners are deserving of their honors as they work to complete their time at Sheridan and embark on their careers in the field.
Here’s the complete list of the 2025 Athletic Therapy Award winners:
Kinematics Award: Hannah Van Brenk
Toronto Blue Jays Baseball Scholarship: David Loiacano
Dr. Ron Taylor Award: Kyla Twinem
Dr. Michael Reierson and Barry Bartlett Professor Emeritus Award of Excellence: Cade Ferguson
Evert Van Beek Memorial Scholarship: Andrea Gardiner
CATA Student Leadership Award: Madeleine Serpa
Dr. Tom Fried Award: Holly Stuart
Michelle Kukta Memorial Scholarship: Hannah Knight
Loi Quach Memorial Award: Briar Alderdice and Sadie Twidale
Robert Firth Memorial Scholarship: Amanda Bilinsky
Dr. Bob Jackson Memorial Award: Nicolette Coppola
Dr. Wade Whitten Award: Kaitlin Kawam
Fred Dunbar Entrepreneur Award: Nicolette Coppola
Anne Hartley Award of Excellence in Athletic Therapy: Madeleine Serpa and Megan Devogelaere