ALGONQUIN COLLEGE
Algonquin College Public Relations student receives silver at College and Institutes Canada Awards of Excellence

Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) announced on June 25 that Algonquin College learner Kathleen Ramsay has received silver in the Leadership Excellence Award for Students category of its 2025 Awards of Excellence.

These awards recognize the outstanding contributions of learners, faculty and staff across Canada's colleges, highlighting important contributions to our communities, the nation and the planet.

Ramsay, a student in the Algonquin College Public Relations (ACPR) program, was recognized for her exceptional leadership and community engagement. She led the Audrey's Star fundraising campaign - named in honour of her late daughter - which raised more than $25,000 for the Roger Neilson Children's Hospice.

"The reason why I champion [the Hospice] was because of my history with them," said Ramsay. "When my daughter was ill and sick and was deemed to require palliative care, we were put into their services. So, I shared my story and how as a family we used their services, and my class rallied behind us and honoured her memory by naming the campaign after her."

During the Audrey's Star campaign and under Ramsay's leadership, the ACPR cohort served as ambassadors to Algonquin College, forging new partnerships with community partners like the Senators Community Foundation. This collaboration resulted in an individual donation of $10,000, something not seen in almost 40 years of ACPR campaigns.

Additional efforts included strengthening the program's partnership with the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, building relationships with local brands like Myers Automotive, Kubota Ottawa and Maverick's Donuts and hosting a number of fundraising events on campus.

"Kathleen has demonstrated extraordinary leadership, compassion and service to both the Algonquin College community and the broader Ottawa community," said Algonquin College President and CEO Claude Brulé. "Her courage to share the story of her daughter and to use her memory as a beacon of hope moved me greatly. The success of the Audrey's Star campaign has made a significant impact in our community."

"I came into the College to get a new lease on life and a new career," said Ramsay. "I went from initially planning to keep my head down and just get my work done to a place where I was not only able to grow and learn, I was able to heal and use Audrey's name to raise awareness about palliative and hospice care in children and to have her legacy live on. To know that my class, the College and CICan are acknowledging this hard work and Audrey's existence leaves me without words."