Nicole Schmidt

Twelfth cohort

Scholars Academy

BA in Political Science (Hons.) with Co-operative Education, BA in International Relations

6th Year

Contact information

Biography

“One should always be a little improbable.” ― Oscar Wilde

Nicole is an undergraduate student pursuing dual degrees in Political Science and International Relations. She is a member of the University's Arts and Sciences Honours Academy and the Faculty of Arts Co-op program.

Nicole recently completed her second term as the President of the University of Calgary Students’ Union where she the was the first female elected to two consecutive presidential terms in the 80-year history of the union. During her terms, Nicole served as a Governor for the University, managed the SU’s 30-million-dollar operating budget, and advocated on behalf of 28,000 undergraduate students to all three levels of government. In her final year as President, she secured a grant to fund student mental health services in the amount of $700,000.

Being passionate about social justice issues, Nicole previously participated in a “Seat Share” program with Canada’s Ambassador to the United Nations to discussed gender equity concerns at the UN in attempts to get more young women engaged in politics. Nicole also recently completed a Civil Litigation internship with the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia, where she provided research on topics including free speech, education equity, racial justice, and economic issues. As a result of her advocacy work, Nicole was the recipient of ACGC's “Top 30 Under 30” award in 2023.

Outside of her academic pursuits, Nicole is an internationally ranked, competitive Irish Dancer and she has previously represented Canada at the World Championships. In her spare time she enjoys painting, photography, and hiking.
 

Publications

  • Canadian Stockholm Junior Water Prize Winner Selection - Western Canada Water Magazine (2017)
  • Fluid Foam Development: A Novel Approach to Heavy Metal Decontamination from Industrial Effluent Water - "This publication by Nicole Schmidt was ranked first based on the evaluation by the judging panel. Nicole’s project provided an overview of a novel approach to utilize barrier-free technologies for selective removal of hard-to-eliminate heavy metal particle contaminants from residual processing water without chemical addition. The project showed strong scientific methodology, significant emphasis on experimental design, complemented with extensive detailed documentation and very clear representation of her studies in the technical paper."

Awards

  •  "Top 30 Under 30" Award - Alberta Council For Global Cooperation (2023)
  • Women's Resource Center (WRC) - Distinguished Undergraduate Student Award (2023)
  • Dr. Gary McPherson Leadership Scholarship- Government of Alberta (2023)
  • Laurence Decore Award for Student Leadership - Government of Alberta (2023)
  • Faculty of Arts Co-operative Education Student of the Year - Honourable Mention (2023)
  • Alyson Woloshyn Legacy of Leadership Award (2022)
  • Faculty of Arts Travel Grant- University of Calgary (2023)
  • International Study Travel Grant - University of Calgary (2023)
  • World Qualifier- Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne [Translation: World Irish Dance Championships] (2019, 2020, 2022)
  • Model United Nations- Best Delegation Awards [Multiple] (2017-2022)
  • Model United Nations- Delegate Awards [Multiple] (2017-2022)
  • Delegate- Plan Canada’s “Girls Belong Here” Program, Seat Share with Canada’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations (2021)
  • Delegate- Daughters of the Vote, Calgary Heritage Riding (2021)
  • David C. Marriott Award- TUXIS Youth Parliament (2020)
  • Alberta Award, UCalgary Study Abroad- The Washington Center (2020)
  • Faculty of Arts Co-operative Education Student of the Year Nominee (2020)
  • Arts and Sciences Honours Academy (ASHA) Entrance Scholarship (2018)
  • Alex Amsterdam Scholarship [Senior] (2017)
  • Stockholm Junior Water Prize (SJWP) Finalist (2017)
  • Canadian Stockholm Junior Water Prize Winner (2017)
  • Eddie Irwin ADCRG Memorial Scholarship (2017)
  • Alexander Rutherford Scholarship (2017)
  • S.M. Blair Family Foundation Award (2017)
  • BP Canada Award of Excellence (2017)
  • Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum Award (2016, 2017)