By Fallon Bourgeois

It’s been 10 years since Kyle DeYoung (BComm’09, LLB’13, MHA,13) came to Dalhousie as a first-year student. Since then he has made some remarkable achievements. In the last year, he’s held an intern position with the World Health Organization before moving to Iqaluit to work with the Government of Nunavut as legal counsel.

Kyle is quick to acknowledge that he is not quite sure if things would be the same if it weren’t for a Bissett scholarship he received in 2005.

“When I think back to my time at Dal, many of the opportunities I had in terms of student life and volunteerism wouldn’t have been possible without my scholarship. It truly set the tone for my entire university experience and work as a lawyer.”

While his scholarship was a major financial boost, it also meant that he gained the invaluable gift of time. “I chose to take the hours that I would have spent at a part-time job and invest it into student life and the greater community.”

This proved to be a wise decision.

Throughout his Bachelor of Commerce degree, and his joint degree in Master of Health Administration and Bachelor of Laws, Kyle made university and community involvement a priority. For six years, he was a valued board member with Halifax’s Community Health Board, as well as other local organizations. He also served on several societies at Dal, often in leadership positions. Kyle says this is what not only sparked his interest in law (through the development of procedures and policies), but also helped him to build skills necessary to further his education.

“Professional programs value students’ community work, volunteerism and leadership. I feel extremely fortunate my scholarship enabled me to get so involved.”

And his commitment to giving back didn’t go unnoticed. In 2013, while he was articling with a law firm in Halifax, Kyle was awarded the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society’s Presidents’ Leadership Award for his exemplary commitment to volunteerism and leadership. That same year, he also received the Dalhousie Student Impact Award for Top Dalhousie Student Union Council Member in recognition of his outstanding service to the university. Even today, while he is thousands of miles away from Halifax, he remains a board member with the Rainbow Refugee Association.

“I feel very fortunate to have be where I’m so early in my career. I can’t help but think my success today relates back to my time and experiences at Dal.”