New Alumna Gracie Crafts '18 Receives Glassco Prize

Awarded During Special Reception in Vancouver with President Leo Groarke and Chancellor Stephen Stohn

November 1, 2022

The Trent University Alumni Association has honoured recent graduate Gracie Crafts '18 with the David Glassco Prize. The presentation took place in Vancouver during a special dinner reception and social with Trent University president Leo Groarke, vice president Trent International Glennice Burns, vice president of Research Cathy Bruce, vice president of Communications & Enrolment Marilyn Burns '00 and chancellor Stephen Stohn '66.

Gracie, a Wasauksing First Nation member, has contributed to the betterment of the Trent community in many ways, in particular by being a role model and leader in Indigenous reconciliation efforts. 

As well as educating students on Indigenous knowledge and campus traditional spaces, Gracie has been an active participant in, and leader of, Indigenous programming and events, including the Elders Gathering, marking the 50th anniversary of Indigenous Studies. She also took on the role of firekeeper for the Trent University Native Association (TUNA).

“My Trent experience was about me trying to find a community of Indigenous students,” said Gracie of the honour. “So, for me, this award is about Indigenous leadership. It’s for all the Indigenous students at Trent. And while my experience at Trent was always Indigenous focused, being involved with Gzowski College and FPHL, in my last year, working with the Champlain Committee, I got to see the broader Trent experience.”

Since then, Gracie has been a leading participant in a series of Gzowski College-led conversations and events designed to build connections between BIPOC students.

The Glassco Prize was established by donors in 2013 to honour the late David Glassco, a long-time faculty member in the Department of English Literature and former principal of Champlain College. Professor Glassco’s contributions were not only felt in the classroom, but also in athletics, theatre, and music, both on campus and in the community. Valued at $1000, the prize recognizes a student who has demonstrated outstanding generosity of spirit in a range of activities outside the classroom, including music, athletics, or theatre, in the Trent and Peterborough communities. The Glassco Prize underscores the Alumni Association’s high regard for student leadership contribution to the overall mission of Trent University. 

Presenting the prize to Gracie was a great honour for TUAA co-president Alma Barranco-Mendoza '90. 
 
“It is such a privilege to meet such an inspiring and outstanding young woman and indigenous leader, now a new member of our chapter in Vancouver,” she remarked.

Alma also noted the success of the event. 

“It was great to be able to get together again in person and reignite the Trent Alumni West Coast Chapter events after such a long hiatus due to COVID,” she said.  
 
“It was great to have Trent leaders visiting us in Vancouver. Getting to share an evening like this with old and new friends from Trent is so important as it keeps the Trent spirit alive and us close to our alma mater even though we are so far away geographically from Peterborough. It is my hope that we will resume our West Coast chapter events and Trent Talks on a more regular basis now that we got the ball rolling again.”