Footballer Naim El-Far and rugby prop Cassandra Wendzich captured the 2006 President’s Awards, presented annually to the student-athletes who best demonstrate excellence in athletics, academics and community involvement.
El-Far is a Computer Science PhD student who has played in every Gee-Gees game since moving to the offensive line in the spring of 2003. A native of Amman, Jordan, El-Far played a critical role in the Gee-Gees emergence as one of Canada’s premier offensive units this year.
The PhD candidate is in his third year with the Garnet and Grey and serves as the volunteer webmaster for the team’s website, in addition to mentoring teammates by assisting them with assignments, time management and test preparation. El-Far is a regular volunteer at Ottawa’s Shepherd’s of Good Hope Shelter and a member of Athletes in Action, a Christian fellowship for athletes around the world.
A former Fulbright Scholar and 2005 Academic All-Canadian, he had a cumulative 9.0 grade point average in his PhD courses this year. He is working in the cutting edge area of haptics (computer touch) with one of the most prominent labs in the field. El-Far did not take up football until the age of 21 when he tried out for the University of Arkansas and made the scout team as a defensive lineman. He traveled with the team to the 2002 Cotton Bowl, before coming to Ottawa in 2003.
A four-time Academic All-Canadian and member of the Dean’s Honour List, Cassandra Wendzich has been named the recipient of the University of Ottawa’s President’s Award for 2005-06. She currently holds a cumulative grade point average of 9.8 and is completing her second Bachelor of Science degree (Biology) after graduating Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science Honours Biochemistry in 2005.
The native of Clarence Creek, Ontario, is a two-time Quebec Student Sport Federation all-star despite sacrificing personal statistics for the betterment of the team. She is renowned for her ability to create scoring chances for her teammates, which has helped the Gee-Gees become one of the top rugby sides in the country.
She is an assistant soccer coach for the Rockland Soccer U-16 team, volunteers as a Pathfinder Leader with the Girl Guides of Canada and at Ottawa General Hospital. She played an instrumental role in introducing women’s rugby at the high school level in Rockland and continues to volunteer as a coach at various clinics and camps in the region.
For all of her community service, she was presented with the Lieutenant Governor’s Community Volunteer Award.
