2024 Sharon Lamont Student Award Winners

The Library is delighted to share this year’s Sharon Lamont Student Award winners, Sarah Chun and Udani De Silva. This is the third year the award is being given out to two students who have worked at the Library and have, through extracurricular involvement, supported equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives. 

Sarah Chun grew up in libraries, so it was natural for her to seek out the Library when she came to Waterloo as an electrical and computer engineering undergraduate student. The Davis Centre Library silent study space has become a second home to Sarah. Long study sessions in the Library are never a solitary event, as she is surrounded by her fellow classmates, providing support and community in a welcoming environment. Now in her third year, she wanted to share with her peers how useful the Library can be to one’s university experience. Sarah joined the Library Ambassador team, making new friends, learning even more about the Library, and fulfilling her goals of connecting peers to its resources. 

Udani De Silva is a graduate student originally from Sri Lanka, where she grew up with a librarian for a mother. Now at Waterloo, where she’s currently completing her second Master’s degree, the Library is a place of comfort and support. As a Public Health student completing a systematic review, subject librarian Jackie Stapleton has been an enormous help as has the Library’s interlibrary loan program; Dana Porter’s quiet environment and exercise bike/desk are an excellent place to get work done. Udani joined the Library Ambassador team so she could share how helpful the Library can be in reaching your goals with other students; she was delighted to find she also made new friends and learned other transferable skills she can take with her to future roles. 

Both Sarah and Udani are grateful for the support the award provides: Sarah is on a co-op work term in the United States this spring and Udani is working hard to complete her degree. 

The Sharon Lamont Student Award was established with a generous gift by long-time library staff member and retiree Sharon Lamont. It opens annually for applications in the Winter term.