Photo (L to R): Sean Bayer, P.Eng., ACEC-SK Chair ; Garret Churchill, 2021 Brian Eckel Memorial Scholarship Award recipient and;Terry Fonstad, P.Eng., Associate Dean Research and Partnerships & Associate Professor Civil Geological and Environmental, University of Saskatchewan.

The Association of Consulting Engineering Companies - Saskatchewan's 2021 recipient of the Brian Eckel Memorial Scholarship is Garret Churchill,  a fourth-year University of Saskatchewan student pursuing a degree in Chemical Engineering, specializing in the Biochemical Option. As a Chemical Engineering student, he has not only been involved in academics as a Greystone Scholar but has also sought to become involved as a positive role-model and volunteer in a diverse and far-reaching array of sports, university, and city communities.

Involved with the greater university community here at the U of S, Garret most notably volunteers with the Chemical Engineering Student Society (ChESS) as the society’s treasurer and secretary. Organizing fundraisers, networking events, and interdisciplinary activities for his fellow students, he has become a strong and supportive voice in the student community.

To keep himself active, Garret has been involved in sports such as soccer, curling, cross-country running and volleyball for several years.  His love of sport has also stemmed to the mentoring side, having coached with the ASTRA Soccer Academy and the Hollandia Soccer Association periodically since he was 17. He has worked with kids from ages 11 to 15 in the past, and most recently, this past 2020-2021 winter season he coached a group of enthusiastic U11’s. In this role, he has nurtured and watched players grow from curious kids trying a new sport, to young adults playing at a competitive level, as he once did in his youth.

Proud to be from Saskatoon, Garret is also involved in meaningful ways to serve the local community. Fortunate enough to be a universal blood donor, he donates blood and plasma to the Canadian Blood Services on an ongoing basis. Especially during the current COVID-19 pandemic when it is not necessarily safe for at-risk donors, he has donated 3 times in the past 8 months to help fulfill Canada’s lifeline.

Garret has also given back first-hand to less fortunate communities in Saskatoon through his job with the Summer Snack Program which he has maintained since high school. In this program he has helped prepare and provide meals for kids and adults in need at various parks during the summer when school nourishment programs pause. Even this past summer while balancing an internship in northern Saskatchewan, he was able to continue working with Summer Snack. This work has given him the opportunity to be a leader at a grassroots level where he has seen the positive progression of many kids because of their involvement in this program.

Ultimately, Garret believes that involvement in the community and giving back is essential to maintaining a positive work/life balance.