Lynn James
A self-described underdog who struggled to mediocre results in high school, Lynn James went on to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree through sheer determination and effort before enjoyed a 31-year career, the last two decades spent as a professor and coordinator of Fanshawe’s Dental Hygiene program. Inspired by her own journey, and teaching many unheralded students during her career, James reached out to Fanshawe shortly before her 2006 retirement to establish the Dental Hygiene Personal Achievement Award to recognize students who demonstrate initiative in overcoming obstacles to achieve success in the first two years of the Dental Hygiene program.
Impact
James says her intent in establishing the award is to help give confidence to someone who may have been told they weren’t good enough, or someone who’s been through tough times and may have considered giving up. “There are a lot of awards that acknowledge the best and brightest students,” she says. “I wanted something that was more of an underdog award to recognize a student’s determination and effort.” The impact of James’ generosity is captured in a letter from one of the recipients that reads: “This award has really made me feel more confident in myself and all those memories of the tough challenges I faced during the program are all worth it now.”