The learning community at Seven Summits Centre for Learning in Rossland (7S) is celebrating the success of 2016 7S Grad Sage Robine after she was chosen as “The Most Outstanding Biological Sciences Undergraduate of the Year” by the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF).
Based upon combined achievement and academic performance, the UAF excellence awards are granted annually by each faculty to the undergrad student who best demonstrates and defines ‘outstanding’.
“We’re incredibly proud of Sage and it’s clear from her achievements in Alaska that she’s on the right trajectory, has made great progress, is pursuing her dreams and is destined for a research career in molecular biology,” said her mom Ann Quarterman.
“You can always tell a 7S graduate – once they know who they want to be and where they want to go, they focus on getting there and enjoying the journey, even if it’s not a straight line.”
Sage, who is in her final year of studying B.S. Cell and Molecular Biology at UAF, was raised and schooled in Rossland.
As a Black Jack Ski Club athlete, she also used the flexibility of blended learning at 7S to pursue her love of Nordic skiing which helped secure her UAF athletic scholarship.
Before this latest announcement, she had already attained the highest academic standings for any athlete at her university.
During her third year, Sage also became the youngest and only undergraduate student to scoop a prestigious award for research project excellence. At the annual IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) retreat in Alaska (2019) she won a $2,000 USD conference travel prize for ‘Best Undergraduate Poster’, which she has yet to redeem because of COVID restrictions.
It was based on research she helped conduct in Dr. Jason Burkhead’s Laboratory within the Biological Sciences Department of The University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA). Its focus was on the cellular response to copper stress in relation to Wilson’s disease – a rare genetic disorder that causes copper poisoning in the body.
“This year of school and lab work has been a fun and exciting end to my four years in Alaska, which have flown by,” said Sage.
“I was really surprised when I received the email informing me of the award, but I’m super grateful to everyone who has helped me get here.”
The award was also accompanied by a financial prize of $1,000 USD.
“The self-directed, independent learning skills I gained by studying at 7S and the self-confidence I was encouraged to build there really set me up well for post-secondary education and lab work,” added Sage.
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