CUE Student, Jamie Mccallum, Awarded Prestigious Fessenden-Trott Scholarship
Edmonton, AB — Concordia University of Edmonton (CUE) is proud to announce that CUE student, Jamie McCallum, has been named a recipient of the Fessenden-Trott Scholarship, a national award recognizing students who combine high academic achievement with demonstrated leadership.
Each year, up to four Fessenden-Trott Scholarships are awarded across a rotating region of Canada, with 2026 nominations drawn from universities across Western Canada. Jamie was nominated by CUE’s selection committee and then was selected by Scholarship Partners Canada, a division of Universities Canada, to receive the $9,000 annual award for up to three years.
“It’s a huge honour to be selected as the nominee for CUE,” Jamie says. “To be chosen by a well-recognized university is incredible, and then to go on and win the scholarship is an amazing feeling.”
A Small Community, A Big Impact
For Jamie, the decision to attend CUE came down to the size of the community itself.
“I was drawn to CUE due to the small class sizes and the flexibility of class selection while obtaining my degree,” Jamie says. “The small community has helped me to communicate easily with my professors and find success in academics. This gave me the confidence to not only do well in the classroom, but also commit to being a student athlete during my first year.”
Leadership Learned On the Ice and the Court
Before arriving at CUE, Jamie was already taking steps in his path to leadership. He captained his high school basketball team and served as captain for his junior hockey team, experiences he says shaped him beyond the locker room.
“Leading a team through high-pressure situations taught me how to communicate effectively, keep teammates motivated during adversity, and lead by example both on and off the ice,” Jamie says. “Whether supporting peers in the classroom, navigating challenges in group projects, or staying involved in community initiatives, the discipline and accountability I developed as a team captain continue to guide how I approach leadership in every aspect of my life.”
That leadership carried through his first year at CUE, where he balanced his full course load and a high GPA with continuing to play junior hockey around Edmonton. “I was able to successfully manage my time by treating school as if it were a job and always ensuring I was caught up before committing to athletics,” he says. “By putting in a certain amount of hours every day, I had time to continue playing hockey while being away from home.”
Giving Back to the Community That Raised Him
In 2023, Jamie organized a ditch cleanup around Castor, Alberta, driven by a longstanding interest in the environment. Rather than treating it as a one-off volunteer project, he built in a second purpose in which proceeds from the bottles and cans collected along the way were donated to the local food bank, turning an environmental initiative into a source of support for his community.
“I have always had an interest in the environment and all parts of nature,” Jamie says. “It taught me that every person is responsible for keeping the environment clean and healthy.”
The project left a lasting mark on him that, in part, shaped his decision to attend CUE. “I believe that my choice to enroll at CUE was partly due to this project, as it allowed me to see how fulfilling taking care of the environment can be, even on a small scale.”
That same instinct to give back shows up elsewhere as Jamie has also coached minor sports in his hometown, something he says comes naturally to him. “I enjoy giving back to my community, especially if I can do that in an athletic setting.”
Where the Drive Comes From
Ask Jamie where his work ethic comes from, and the answer traces back to the farm he grew up on.
“Growing up on a farm around a small town really helped me to appreciate the distances hard work can take a person,” he says. “Always having chores or some sort of work to do around the farm is a huge reason I can stay on top of my academics and put in the work to succeed.”
That same discipline and drive — sharpened on the farm, on the ice, and on the court — is exactly what the Fessenden-Trott Scholarship was designed to recognize. As Jamie continues his degree at CUE, it’s clear the leadership he’s built over years of hard work is only getting started.