GUELPH, Ont. – Throughout the 2020 fall semester, the University of Guelph Department of Athletics will be highlighting various members from our Gryphon varsity teams as part of our "BioSteel Student-Athlete Spotlight." This week's edition features
Hannah Tait, a second-year student-athlete on the Gryphons women's hockey team who majors in management economics and finance.
LEADERSHIP IN THE COMMUNITY AND EXCELLENCE IN THE CLASSROOM
Academic success. Leadership in the community. Excellence in athletics.
Those are the traits which have come to define Hannah Tait.
Dating back to her high school years at St. Anne's Catholic Secondary School in Clinton, Ontario, the now 19-year-old has developed a long-standing habit of excelling in academics, athletics and in the community.
And for those who know Hannah well, it should come as no surprise that the native of Exeter, Ontario has continued to grow in all three phases early on in her University journey.
As a high school student, Hannah was the proud owner of an average north of 90% in the classroom, something she was able to maintain despite a demanding athletic schedule which saw her compete in hockey, soccer, cross country and track. Within her school community, Hannah served as a student trustee within the Huron Perth Catholic District School Board, where she was one of two student representatives within the district, regularly attending board meetings or speaking at school events. With the few hours still remaining in her busy weekly schedule, Hannah could usually be found at the local arena where she would help coach practice for a novice girls hockey team (ages 8-to-9). She also found time to volunteer at the local food bank in her hometown of Exeter. In short, her commitment to her community was impressive.
And folks were starting to take notice. Prior to becoming a Gryphon, Hannah was the well-deserved recipient of not one, but
two, undergraduate scholarships.
In February of 2019, her senior year of high school, Hannah was named a
McCall Huron County Scholarship recipient, an undergraduate scholarship program for Huron County students with leadership potential. Before she could unpack her belongings and settle into her first-year residence at U of G (Lennox & Addington), Hannah received some more good news, this time in the form of a prestigious undergraduate scholarship from the University of Guelph, where she was awarded an "
Academic Leadership Entrance Scholarship."
Her commitment to being involved within her school community was once again on display at the post-secondary level. Driven by her passion for environmental awareness, Hannah decided to get involved with the University of Guelph's
sustainability office. There, she found a role as a
sustainability ambassador, working alongside her fellow students on several projects, including one which focused around the conservation of native plant species to aid pollinators. Hannah has also added "blogger" to her growing resumé, with the Gryphons women's hockey right winger regularly contributing to
The Sustainable Student – a student-led blog created by U of G's sustainability office.
In the classroom, Hannah earned U SPORTS Academic All-Canadian status during her memorable first year, where she started in biomedical engineering before switching her academic focus to the business side. As a sophomore, Tait's current course load includes classes in accounting, statistics, business and consumer law, microeconomics and mathematical economics. Her first co-op placement will take place in the summer of 2021.
ON THE ICE
Not to be lost in all of her success academically and within the community is the fact that Hannah Tait is a key contributor on one of the top women's hockey programs in the country. During the 2019-20 season, the first-year forward earned team Rookie of the Year honours after standing out among a strong 2019-20 recruiting class for the Gryphons women's hockey team. Hannah tied for 3rd on the team in goals scored (6), including a crucial overtime winner in the regular season finale at Laurentian which helped the Gryphons clinch the 8th and final playoff spot in the OUA. The native of Exeter, Ontario took on a key role with the Gryphons throughout the 2019-20 season, logging the most minutes of ice time of any first-year player while also being used regularly on the Gryphon penalty kill.
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