SAIT Alumni Awards
SAIT’s Alumni Family members — a network of more than 270,000 strong — are community builders, innovators, and leaders in their industries. SAIT is proud to recognize graduates who are making an impact in the community, on the national stage and worldwide through the Alumni Awards.
2023 Alumni Awards nominations
SAIT’s Alumni Awards celebrate graduates of distinction — trailblazers in industry who invest in their community and continue to support SAIT.
Nominations for the 2023 SAIT Alumni Awards are open until April 30, 2023 in the following categories:
Categories and criteria
Distinguished Alumni Award
Established in 1988, the Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes a SAIT graduate who demonstrates:
- proven leadership skills
- exceptional achievements in business or industry
- outstanding contributions to the community
- a history of support for SAIT
Clarence Hollingworth Alumni Employee Award of Excellence
Established in 2019, the Clarence Hollingworth Alumni Employee Award of Excellence is awarded to a SAIT alumni who:
- Is a SAIT staff or faculty member at the time of nomination
- Has made a demonstrative and positive impact in the SAIT community through their work
- Exemplifies a high level of excellence, professionalism and personal commitment to SAIT’s mission and core values, and
- Embodies a spirit of enthusiasm and pride in being an alumni working at SAIT.
Outstanding Young Alumni Award
Established in 2009, the Outstanding Young Alumni Award recognizes a SAIT graduate who:
- has graduated from SAIT in the last 10 years and is 35 years or younger
- has proven leadership skills
- exhibits exceptional achievements in their field of endeavour
- demonstrates outstanding contributions to the community
International Impact Alumni Award
New this year, the International Impact Alumni Award recognizes a SAIT graduate who:
- Has demonstrated a positive impact on SAIT’s reputation as a global education leader
- Has exhibited exceptional achievements internationally and/or
- Has demonstrated outstanding contributions in bringing positive global perspectives to SAIT and its surrounding community
Exclusions
Please review the following exclusions prior to completing your nomination.
- Self-nominations will not be considered in any award category.
- Current SAIT faculty and staff will not be considered for the SAIT Distinguished Alumni, International Impact Alumni or Outstanding Young Alumni Awards. Staff and faculty will be considered for the Clarence Hollingworth Alumni Employee Award of Excellence.
- Current serving Members of the Board of Governors or serving politicians at any level of government will not be considered for the SAIT Alumni Awards.
Linda Olsen
2022 Distinguished Alumna recipient
Linda Olsen is an award-winning news anchor, reporter and producer born and raised in Calgary. For the past 34 years, she has built a career dedicated to local news, helping walk Calgarians through their city’s most interesting, challenging and significant events. She is a champion for her community, lending her voice to several charitable organizations and sharing stories of inspirational community builders, particularly women. For 15 years, she hosted and produced Global’s Woman of Vision series — fitting for someone so clearly focused on and committed to being of service to her city.
Cinema, Television, Stage and Radio Arts '88
Anchor, Global News
SAIT's Distinguished Alumni
See all our Distinguished Alumni award recipients dating back to 1988.
Kyle Bukauskas
2022 Outstanding Young Alumnus Award recipient
The ink was barely dry on Kyle Bukauskas’s diploma when he headed to Toronto to begin his broadcasting career with Sportsnet. In the nine years since, he has been humanizing hockey, reporting rinkside at NHL games as a correspondent for the Ottawa Senators before becoming the on-ice reporter for the Montreal Canadiens. In 10-second increments, he helps players share stories that capture the emotion behind and dedication to the game they — and Kyle — love. And he helps today’s SAIT students, making sure to visit classes whenever he’s in town.
Radio, Television and Broadcast News '13
Sports Reporter, Rogers Sportsnet
Madeleine MacDonald
2022 Outstanding Young Alumna Award recipient
One of SAIT's youngest instructors, Madeleine MacDonald brings her mentorship skills — honed while working in the creative cocktail field — to every class she teaches. She translated an internship at Calgary's award-winning Model Milk restaurant into a role as a beverage director, going on to create dynamic cocktail programs city-wide and winning national cocktail competitions.
MacDonald also works to improve the hospitality industry from within. She was the main organizer of the Calgary Speed Rack bartending competition, which is a fundraiser for breast cancer. MacDonald also served as Partnerships Director for the Board of Directors of the Bartenders Benevolent Fund, a cross-Canada initiative that has collected more than $1 million to help bar workers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Food and Beverage Service Instructor, School of Hospitality and Tourism, SAIT