STORY BY MEHREEN SHAHID
When he walked in at 7 a.m. with coffee and bagels for his teammates on his third day back at school, Nick Kattis had no idea what was coming his way three hours later.
At 10:15 a.m., taking a break from their news show production schedule, all broadcast students gathered round, with his former colleagues from Sheridan’s alumni office tucked in a corner, Kattis’ program co-ordinator, Nicole Blanchett Neheli announced him as the recipient of the $10,000 Ed Wood Memorial Scholarship.
“It’s definitely not a regular occurrence,” said Kattis, gushing at the surprise his faculty and colleagues had given him.
An average day for the award-winning 23-year-old begins early and ends in the wee hours of the night. During his time at Sheridan, he has worked as a department assistant, was a summer intern with the alumni office, organized study sessions for first-year students and works for the Student Union.
“It’s a mixture of juggling time management skills, meeting deadlines in the appropriate amount of time,” said Kattis. “But it is all only possible because of everyone in the program, the faculty and other students.”
Kattis was nominated for the award by the alumni office and his faculty.
“From the day he walked through the door, he was eager to learn,” said Blanchett Neheli. “He talked to all teachers, even those who weren’t teaching him and just soaked up knowledge.”
Fellow broadcast students were delighted and cheered Kattis when he came up to the front to receive the certificate for his achievements as an outstanding student.
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“I’ve worked with Nick multiple times,” said Maria Ramage, 20. “He has a focus and vision of what he wants to do and how he wants to do it. He is a go-getter and willing to help everyone. He will stop and listen, even if he has a million things on his plate, and help out as much as he can.”
Kattis plans on putting the money toward paying off school fees and maybe starting his own business in the future. He credits it all to the program and those who run it.
“The responsibility we take on and the skills we have to self learn while studying just makes the whole feeling of this award and of being here synergistic.”