The Annual Starlight Gala, hosted by the GSA, is an evening dedicated to celebrating the accomplishments and community of graduate students at Brock University.
✨As the GSA celebrates its 50th anniversary, this year’s Starlight Gala promises to be our grandest celebration yet, honouring five decades of graduate student community and success.✨
On Saturday, March 28, 2026, Graduate Students, Graduate Alumni, Brock Administration, Dignitaries and Staff will come together for the GSA’s signature event – The Starlight Gala – with dinner, awards, prizes and entertainment. We will gather to celebrate the present, recognize our past fifty years of operation as an association and look toward another incredible twenty-four-plus years of engagement and representation of graduate students at Brock.
Graduate Student Awards Information
EACH YEAR, GRADUATE STUDENTS ARE NOMINATED FOR AWARDS IN RECOGNITION OF THEIR SERVICE AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THIS YEAR IS NO EXCEPTION.
CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE NOMINATION FORM. NOMINATIONS CLOSE ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27 AT 11:45 P.M.
- Graduate Student Mentorship Award: The award recognizes a graduate student who has shown outstanding commitment to mentoring and supporting other graduate students, demonstrating exemplary actions of inspiring leadership.
- Volunteer of the Year Award (1 – Domestic Graduate Student / 1 – International Graduate Student): The recipient(s) (one domestic and one international graduate student) of this award demonstrates consistent and on-going efforts to improve the lives of others through the fundamental act of strong community building. This category is open to unpaid positions only (no monetary compensation).
- Community and Engagement Award: The recipient of this award demonstrates creativity, leadership, innovation, and long-term effectiveness in assisting individuals and community organizations both on and off campus to deliver services that create a positive impact and experiences for the beneficiaries. This category considers both paid and unpaid positions.
- Academic Excellence Award: The recipient of this award demonstrates the ability to perform, achieve, and/or excel in scholastic activities on behalf of, or while representing, Brock University. This category is open to graduate students in course-based or research-based programs.
- Teaching Assistant of the Year: The recipient of this award demonstrates a willingness to improve the academic and personal well-being of the students (undergraduate or graduate) they teach and interact with, as well as other teaching colleagues. This category is open to teaching assistants and lab instructors who are currently graduate students.
*Grad students are eligible to win each category once during the duration of their enrollment.
Event Information:
As we prepare for another exciting event, we invite you to check out some of the images from last year’s 2025 Starlight Gala! We look forward to seeing you on March 28, 2026!
Check out last year’s full photo gallery here!
