First McIsaac/Kamphuis Christian Ethics Prize Awarded

A new prize for students studying Christian Ethics has been created at the University of Prince Edward Island through a $25,000 endowment gift from Alan McIsaac and Joanne (Kamphuis) McIsaac. They established the prize to honour their parents; the late Leo McIsaac and Mary McIsaac and John and Willemina Kamphuis. The McIsaac/Kamphuis Christian Ethics Prize is valued at $1,000 annually. The first recipient is Peter Aiken of Stanchel.

Leo and Mary McIsaac, lifelong Roman Catholics, raised their ten children in an environment based on strong Christian values. John and Willemina Kamphuis, leaders in the Christian Reformed Church, have always encouraged their eight children to follow their example by applying Christianity to all aspects of lives. The new prize pays tribute to their commitment to family, community, and the Church.

The $25,000 donation to create an endowment fund in support of the new prize was made through the UPEI Building a Legacy Campaign.

"Gifts to create endowments at UPEI are wonderful tributes to family and community. Alan and Joanne McIsaac wanted to honour their parents with a special gift that reflected deeply-held values," says Kevin Lewis, Chief Development Officer at UPEI. "We discussed the possibilities with them and the result is this prize that will be in place forever for our students' benefit."

The prize is to be awarded annually to a full-time UPEI student with the best overall performance in Christian Ethics, a second-year Religious Studies course. Performance will be measured as a combination of interest in Christian ethics as a topic of study in an historical context and its application to modern life, engagement in debate and discussion in the class setting, and the student's dedication to excellence in his or her assignments, essays and/or exams.