CREDIT: FANSHAWE COLLEGE
Fanshawe is celebrating student Cadie De Kelver after she recently received the Ontario Collegiate Recreation (OCR) Student Leadership Award.

Fanshawe is celebrating student Cadie De Kelver after she recently received the Ontario Collegiate Recreation (OCR) Student Leadership Award. The OCR award is given to student leaders who have a significant impact within the college. Only two students from the province are given this honourable award.

De Kelver pointed out an aspect of the achievement that she was particularly proud of.

“Fun fact, normally they choose a boy and a girl each year to win, but this year there were two female winners.”


De Kelver was also the winner of the Student Leadership in Training Award from the athletics department and the Mike Lindsay Leadership Award also from the athletics department. In 2021, De Kelver successfully ran for the position of Fanshawe Student Union (FSU) Director. She said one of the main reasons she was nominated for the award was because of her involvement within the college during COVID-19.

“With everything that was happening in the world, Fanshawe College still wanted to offer services to the students, so they started to do social media,” she said. “I was able, with my program, to build a social media strategy to develop a plan for us to offer health and recreation solutions for students while they were not able to come to the facilities.”

When asked about her specific leadership qualities, De Kelver said she doesn’t quite know how she evolved into this “leadership” role within the college, but that she always had enthusiasm for everything she did.

“I get excited about everything. I’m excited about what other people are doing, what other people are achieving, what their goals are…and that excitement, it drives me to help them achieve it. I think my excitement makes me a cheerleader and it becomes very motivating thing for people.”

When De Kelver started at the college, it wasn’t in her plans to become the leader she is today. De Kelver offered some insight into how she became known for her leadership abilities.

“My end goal always has been helping motivate people to better themselves,” she explained. “I always thought I would be in science. I never thought that this was my journey that I would get to. I never win awards or was known as a leader, I’m kind of always behind the scenes, so it was very shocking.”

De Kelver is currently in the Bachelor of Commerce Digital Marketing program, which marks her fifth Fanshawe credential. She said she is “super excited” and ready to enter the next phase of her life and look for work. In typical De Kelver fashion, she couldn’t help but share some of her future goals.

“My co-op is a social media coordinator with Fanshawe. I would love, love, love to be able to get hired on and do the Here For You account, focusing on sharing with students what’s available to them, what access they have, what resources are available. I never knew what was there for me when I needed it or even before I needed it, so I really have my fingers crossed I’ll get hired by Fanshawe.”

The future looks bright for De Kelver because this firecracker plans to light it up. She offered one final piece of advice for students.

“Ask the questions. We’re here to learn and get as much out of this experience as we can so ask everything. Fanshawe is known as a city within a city so we probably have what you’re looking for.”