Filipina receives Canada’s prestigious Governor General’s Academic Medal

Niagara College’s top Filipina student Jonhel Patricia Lim Ampil (center) graduates at the top of her class in Canada. FACEBOOK

A Filipina student earned the Governor General’s Academic Medal, the most prestigious honor a student can receive for academic excellence in Canada.

Niagara College’s top Filipina student, Jonhel Patricia Lim Ampil, earned the prestigious academic award as she completed her studies in Recreation Therapy with a 98.046 percent average, the highest grade-point average (GPA) attained by a student in the Class of 2022.

Ampil worked as a licensed occupational therapist in the Philippines before moving to Canada with her partner to further her studies at Niagara College.

She thanked her family and mentors at the college in her convocation speech. “We left our professional careers, our families, and our friends behind in the Philippines. It was a difficult path to take, but we have no regrets.”

Ampil also received the Dean’s Award for the School of Community Services at the recent convocation ceremony. The Filipina achiever  recalled overcoming challenges as an international student during the pandemic.

She lives in Niagara Falls and works as an assistant activity coordinator at the Chapel Heights retirement home. She plans to get her occupational therapy license so she can practice in Canada.

For nearly 150 years, the Governor General’s Academic Medals have been awarded to the student graduating with the highest average from a high school, as well as from approved college or university programs.

Filipino academic achievers who brought pride to the country as they graduated from top universities abroad include Raphael “Rafa” Vergel de Dios Domingo, the first Filipino scholar of the World Deaf Leadership (WDL) program to earn a doctorate degree, and Maria De Leon, the immigrant daughter of a Filipina nanny in the United States, who graduated with honors from Harvard University.