Dalhousie student, 27, wins lifetime achievement award

Whenever Owen Johnstone saw a falling star as a little boy, he wished for his house to turn into a farm.

The Fall River native graduated from Lockview High School in 2005 and then attended NSCAD’s Foundation Year, but describes himself as “flying under the radar” in both schools.

“I’d thought about being a zoologist, or making documentaries for National Geographic, but I talked myself out of everything because I didn’t have the self-confidence,” says Johnstone, 27.

He took time off to travel, and then got heavily involved volunteering with The Youth Project — a Halifax non-profit providing support to youth around issues of sexual orientation and gender identity. His confidence grew, and he found himself going back to his passion for working with animals.

“I was really excited about coming to Dalhousie’s Agricultural Campus because I’d get to work with animals and learn to be a veterinary technician,” says Johnstone. “Part of the program includes kennel duty, taking care of the horses, and milking the cows, so it was like my childhood dream was actually coming true.”

Johnstone was nervous about moving to a new community where he didn’t know anyone, but his nine years of volunteering had taught him that was the key to making friends who shared the same interests.

When he arrived on the Truro campus, he witnessed a fellow student being bullied for acknowledging same-sex relationships in their past.

“It really upset me, so we banded together and figured we weren’t the only people on campus,” says Johnstone. “So we started DalOUT on the Truro campus as a way for people to hang out in a safe space.”

Heather Doyle, director of student services with the Faculty of Agriculture, remembers first meeting Johnstone at student orientation last fall. She was impressed that he was so interested in getting involved, considering the two-year veterinary technician program is “intense and fast-paced.”

“It would have been easy for him to have done his program and left, but he’s taken on so much in addition to being an excellent student,” says Doyle. “There’s something in him that just wants to engage and help all students.”

Johnstone won an IMPACT award on campus for his work founding DalOUT, and then became a member of the Vet Tech Society — for which he currently serves as president.

He bridged the gap between first-year and second-year students by organizing skills development sessions to help students master hands-on skills like preparing surgical instrument packs and setting up anesthetic delivery systems — which led him to win another IMPACT award this year. Doyle also credits him with bringing together the Vet Tech Society and the Pre-Vet Club through socials and activities.

Last month, Johnstone was honoured with a Board of Governor’s Award on the Halifax campus — considered to be a lifetime achievement award for student life — for what Doyle calls his “huge and lasting impact on life at Dalhousie.”

“He really wants to make an impact in his work as a student, on campus, and for Dalhousie as a whole,” says Doyle. “He’s created something that hadn’t existed before, and given students a place to feel safe and included.”

“He’s exactly what we want Dalhousie students to be.”

When Johnstone found out he would be receiving the Board of Governor’s Award, he says he didn’t tell anyone until the night before because he didn’t want anyone to make a fuss over him.

“It wasn’t something I had gone out to try to achieve, but it did feel really good,” says Johnstone, who was presented with his award on March 26. “It feels like anyone can make a difference if they put in the effort, and it’s nice to know that it will be acknowledged.”

Johnstone will be graduating on May 8, and plans to spend a month travelling Scotland before beginning work at an HRM veterinary clinic this summer.

He says he regrets not volunteering in high school and at NSCAD, because it’s made his experience at Dalhousie much more enjoyable.

“When you volunteer, yes, you’re adding more to your schedule, but you’re also meeting new people, reducing your stress levels, and focusing on your true passion,” says Johnstone. “I’m glad I didn’t make the same mistake again, and got involved.”