2024 Award Recipients
This award was established in 2008 to recognize exceptional students who have a record of academic achievement, demonstrate leadership, and make significant contributions to our community.
Semhar Abraha
Shellard Photography
Semhar Abraha
Juris Doctor
Semhar Abraha embodies the spirit of the President’s Award through her academic excellence, leadership and unwavering commitment to social justice.
Abraha completed her undergraduate and law degrees in just six years, setting an impressive record for academic achievement. During this time, she maintained a high level of academic excellence, earning a spot on the Dean’s List and securing various awards.
Throughout her university journey, Abraha held numerous leadership positions within the Students’ Union (SU), the Faculty of Arts, and at the institutional level advocating for equity and diversity.
Notably, she established the Violet King Engaged Award (funded by Students’ Union Quality Money and the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion). Violet King was the first Black woman to become a lawyer in Canada, and the award in her name opens doors for many talented scholars who have been historically underrepresented. Additionally, Abraha advocated and secured funding for various Open Education Resources projects.
She also co-founded and continues to serve as the co-chair of the African Studies Task Force, which was successful in advocating for enhanced funding for a substantial expansion of the African Studies program in the Faculty of Arts, increasing course offerings from two to 10. Additionally, she played a lead role in hosting a visit to UCalgary by the former President of Ghana, the Right Hon. John Mohama Dramani.
Abraha’s involvement with the Innovation Internship Program, which develops innovative solutions to justice issues, led her to partner with Ackah Immigration Law. Supported by Abraha’s leadership, they developed an intake process for clients, many whom are immigrants seeking to establish themselves as startup entrepreneurs in Canada.
As a law student, Abraha has continued her leadership journey by participating in the Julius Alexander Isaac Moot competition, serving as vice-president mentorship for UCalgary’s chapter of the Black Law Students Association, and as a volunteer case worker with the Student Legal Assistance Program.
She has also won multiple awards, including the Jason Lang Scholarship, the Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law Scholarship, the Olivier Le Jeune Advocacy Scholarship and the ICON Fasken Scholarship, and a Youth Achievement Award from the Calgary Black Chambers.