Sarah Hogue came to Lakeland College to play volleyball for the Rustlers, and while she was here, she fell in love with the college and community. Her goals for her time at Lakeland were to win national gold with the team and, coincidentally, to receive the President’s Medal.

This March, she and the Rustlers women’s volleyball team won national gold – for the second consecutive year. In May, she was presented the President’s Medal as she crossed the stage at convocation.

“Playing for the Rustlers women’s volleyball team is definitely what brought me to Lakeland, and I really enjoyed being here and being involved in the athletic community, the school community and the Lloydminster community as well.”

Hogue adds, “I’m a very goal-oriented person, and after my first year, I returned home to my family for the summer and remember telling my mom that one of my goals was to receive the President’s Medal before I was done at Lakeland, to be recognized by the college community in that light.”

The President’s Medal is Lakeland’s most prestigious award, given to one Vermilion campus recipient and one from Lloydminster campus each year in recognition of leadership both in and beyond the classroom. Hogue is the 2024 recipient for Lloydminster campus.

While at Lakeland, the university transfer graduate from Dauphin, Man., was an active member of the volleyball team. Around her athletics schedule, she also made time for volunteering at Lakeland and in the community. She was head coach of a Rustlers club program, did coaching in the college and community and volunteered at the Olive Tree. She was the first student member of the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) Reconciliation, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (REDI) committee and now a co-chair of it.

Perhaps her greatest contribution to the community is Girls Beyond Borders. Founded in May 2023, it’s an empowerment and personal development initiative for young girls, inspired but Hogue’s own experiences. She serves as the executive director of the program.

“Growing up, I had a lot of leadership opportunities,” Hogue explains. “I wanted to condense all of the things I really enjoyed doing into one program for young girls that I know I would have loved when I was younger. It’s about girls’ personal development and empowerment, giving them a place to grow into their fullest potential, surrounded by people who want to do the same.”

Hogue credits some of her leadership knowledge with what she has learned as a member of the Rustlers team during her time at Lakeland, especially being a key part of a team that won a Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) gold twice.

“I’ve learned a lot about leadership along the way, especially in the past few years, being one of the older players,” Hogue says. “I definitely grew into a leadership role and tried to instill a lot of those same values and culture into the younger players.”

Alongside her President’s Medal, Hogue was also recognized with a CCAA Torchbearer scholarship in recognition of her exceptional leadership and commitment to empowering young girls.

Next, she intends to continue her post-secondary education, with plans to work in education.