Congrats to Paxton! More information about our awards and scholarships can be found here.

When Stephanie Downs returned to Canada from the UK to become a librarian, she chose to enter the MLIS program at Dalhousie for its sense of community, welcoming faculty and Maritime culture. Diagnosed with cervical cancer at the end of her last year at SIM, Stephanie graduated with her MLIS but lost her hard-fought battle to her illness on May 27th, 2007.

Remembered for her enthusiasm, Stephanie was a “doer” and very active in school life, serving as 2005-2006 Co-Chair of SIMSA and SIM Team Captain for the 2005 Halifax “Run for the Cure”. She was also awarded the Student-to-CLA travel award to attend the 2005 CLA Conference in Calgary. This award was established by Stephanie’s family and friends in her memory.

Paxton (he/they) is a second year MI student with an interest in digital organizing for the queer community. He received his BFA from New York University in Film & Television in May 2023. He decided to pursue information science after being trained as a film projectionist and working on queer documentaries. These experiences taught them the care and importance of records’ preservation and of connecting the queer community with its histories. Originally from New York, he is familiar with the challenges and emotional weight of the formal immigration process and the feelings of isolation that make starting a new program difficult. While only met with welcoming attitudes and friendly faces in the MI program, the stark differences between here and home are undeniable and sometimes overwhelming. Coupled with new learning experiences that were exciting and challenging, it was easy to feel like he was just keeping his head above water.

After completing his first year, they happily accepted the Stephanie Downs Memorial Award and he hopes to foster welcoming community environment on and off campus for international and Canadian students. While working at the Halifax Public Library he’s also been able to assist Newcomers with their paperwork and connect them with community resources. The uncertainty that the immigration process entails makes connecting with the MI and surrounding Halifax community all the more challenging, but it doesn’t have to be an isolating experience. Paxton hopes to be a resource and familiar face for other international students.