Dawn McIlmoyle '00 (Otonabee College)
Being a student at Trent University changed my life. As a mature student and single mom of two, it gave me a purpose for my pain and skills to be able to assist others. Going to university and getting my Bachelor of Science in Nursing is one of the things I am most proud of, and it has only added to the advocacy I have been doing for survivors of sexual trauma and harassment in the Canadian Armed Forces since 1998. The Paul Harris Fellow is given to deserving individuals who demonstrate service above self, and this year I received this honour in the area of vocation from the Kawartha Rotary Club. Receiving this award with two former Trent professors and being able to bring my 99-year-old grandmother to the ceremony was an experience I am most grateful for.
Related Class Notes
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This past summer I had the incredible opportunity to complete a field research internship with the prestigious Orca Behaviour Institute on San Juan Island, Washington. By recording the behaviours of two separate populations of killer whales in the Salish Sea, including the critically endangered southern resident orcas, I was able to utilize the skills I’ve gained from Trent, contribute to meaningful science, and make global connections with the marine mammal community. It was the experience of a lifetime, and I hope to continue advocating for these whales and their environment throughout my conservation career.
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As a proud member of Trent's Class of 1994 and an Otonabee College affiliate, I was delighted to return for HOTT to celebrate my son, Felyx Greenway-Moore, at his 2024 Traill College scarfing ceremony. It fills me with joy that he has chosen the institution that shaped my life so profoundly. My time at Trent gave me cherished memories and lifelong friendships I will always treasure. Returning was a nostalgic journey that allowed me to reconnect with so many other graduates that I had lost touch with, rekindling cherished relationships.
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It seems like yesterday I was at Trent University, studying English Literature and Cultural Studies while preparing to become a teacher. Recently, I am proud to have been selected as the 4th Poet Laureate of Cobourg (2019-2022) and to have won the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People in 2024. “Bernice and the Georgian Bay Gold” is a novel for middle grade students, inspired by my Métis family story, and takes place at the lighthouse where my grandfather lived. Last year, teaching at Trent University felt like my story had come full circle, returning to where it all began.
