Loyalist College to honour Nicole Flynn with Hugh P. O’Neil Outstanding Alumni Award
Belleville, ON, June 3, 2025 – Loyalist College is proud to announce that Nicole Flynn, an accomplished speaker, author, entrepreneur and advocate for disability justice, will receive the Hugh P. O’Neil Outstanding Alumni Award at the college’s 58th annual Convocation ceremonies this month.
“We are thrilled to present Nicole Flynn with the Hugh P. O’Neil Outstanding Alumni Award at this year’s Convocation,” says Loyalist College President and CEO Mark Kirkpatrick. “Through her advocacy, Nicole challenges people to recognize their bias and shift their perspective. Her work reminds us that building an inclusive culture requires sustained commitment and a willingness to expand how we think, act and engage with others. I know her words will make a lasting impression on our graduates as they step into their careers ready to transform the world for the better.”
A graduate of Loyalist’s General Arts and Science program, Nicole Flynn is the founder and CEO of Nicole Flynn Enterprises. As a person with Trisomy 21 Down syndrome, she brings her lived experience to the forefront of her writing, photography and speaking engagements, delivering powerful messages about equity, inclusion, and the importance of confronting systemic barriers. As a professional speaker, Nicole has shared her message on national and international stages, including as keynote speaker at the 2024 United Nations World Down Syndrome Day Conference in Trinidad. Flynn also represented Canadian Youth Leaders at the Conference of State Parties at the United Nations in 2024. In 2017, she received a Canada 150 Anniversary Award in recognition of her outstanding contributions to her community.
“In my opinion, everyone plays an important role as leaders setting a positive example of acceptance and inclusion by increasing equal opportunity and challenging barriers,” says Flynn.
The Hugh P. O’Neil Outstanding Alumni Award is presented each year during the college’s Convocation ceremonies, honouring a Loyalist graduate who has demonstrated outstanding professional leadership or, through volunteer service, has made an exceptional contribution to their community. The award was established in 1998 in recognition of Mr. O’Neil’s leadership as Chair of the Foundations for the New Millennium Campaign.
Nicole Flynn will be presented with the award during Loyalist’s Convocation ceremonies, taking place June 4 – 6 and June 9 – 11, 2025, at the college’s Belleville campus.
About Loyalist College
Loyalist College is built upon the lands governed by the Dish with One Spoon wampum agreement. We affirm and thank the Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabeg and Huron-Wendat nations for their continued caretaking of the land. At Loyalist, we empower our students with wraparound support services and hands-on training to succeed on any path they choose. Our academic programs are responsive and innovative, designed to solve pressing social and economic challenges and meet the evolving needs of our regional industry and community partners. Our graduates enter the workforce equipped with the knowledge they need to be better global citizens, and with future-focused skills to lead change in their fields. With a presence in Belleville, Bancroft, Port Hope, Tyendinaga and Toronto, we believe our institutional responsibility extends beyond the classroom to seeing the big picture for the communities we serve. Our expertise in applied research and deep connections to local industry support economic development, to the benefit of businesses, entrepreneurs, changemakers and innovators. Our commitment to decolonization, and the pursuit of a more inclusive, equitable world, means we hold ourselves accountable to the diverse perspectives, cultures and experiences that shape our communities.
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Contact:
Hannah Brown
Director of Marketing and Communications
hbrown@loyalistcollege.com
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