Student - Western News - University of Western Ontario

STUDENT AWARD RECIPIENTS
Marta Kopun is a true believer in giving back to the
community, both locally and internationally, which
is why she feels so honoured to have received one
of the $1,100 awards funded by the late William M. Edgar.
Marta truly appreciates Mr. Edgar’s kindness and admires
his selflessness. “His generosity has not only helped me and
many students before me, but will continue to help many
students in the future,” notes Marta. “It is incredible that his
legacy will continue to touch the lives of others. As a
student requiring financial support, his generosity has
gone a long way and has made the cost of university more
bearable for me.”
Established through Foundation Western, the Department
of History Award is presented to a student in an Honors
Bachelor degree, with either an Honors Specialization,
Major or Specialization in History based on academic
achievement and financial need. William M. Edgar
established this award to recognize the outstanding
teaching provided to him by Professor Craig Simpson.
Marta is an advocate of social justice issues and a volunteer
in both the London community and abroad. In her first year
at Western, she volunteered with Habitat for Humanity and
travelled to New Orleans to help build houses for victims of
Hurricane Katrina. The experience was so rewarding that
she decided to volunteer with Western Heads East and
travelled to Africa for four months. In Tanzania, with the
6 STUDENT AWARDS RECIPIENT REPORT
DEPARTMENT OF
HISTORY AWARD
MARTA KOPUN
BA’13, INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
help of another student, Marta started a small probiotic
yogurt business to be run by women throughout the local
community that will build people’s immune systems and
help HIV and AIDS victims digest their medication.
Fortunately for Marta, she has been able to continue her
passion for social justice in her studies at Western. She says
she feels lucky to be part of a program that combines
history and political science, which allows for some
flexibility in course specialization.
“What interests me are international human rights and
international conflict management,” says Marta. Studying
courses in International Relations ignited Marta’s interest in
international law, and she recently wrote her LSATs in hopes
of entering law school after graduation.
“I cannot thank Mr. Edgar enough for helping me and so
many other students pursue our goals and further our
education,” says Marta. “He must have been an incredible
man and I know he is missed by many.”
“His generosity has not only helped me and
many students before me, but will continue to
help many students in the future.”