Editor’s Note: As we celebrate African Heritage Month in February, we’re proud to spotlight some of our own people, Black culture, contributions and history.
Here, we meet fourth year StFX Schwartz School of Business student Dana Morrison from Nassau, Bahamas. Ms. Morrison, a senior accounting student, is the recipient of the Schwartz National Scholars Award and of the Dr. Trudy Eagan Women in Business Award. She serves as co-president of the StFX BLACC Student Society and as the representative for Students of African Descent on the StFX Students’ Union. She completed a student exchange, studying international business in Lille, France, and has been actively involved on campus, as a community advisor in Residence Life, serving on numerous committees, and in advocacy efforts for equity, diversity and inclusivity.
Leadership and excellence: Meet StFX student Dana Morrison
Dana Morrison, a StFX fourth year accounting student from Nassau, Bahamas, is not afraid to dream big. And that’s been a good thing for StFX.
Ms. Morrison, a recipient of both an $80,000 Schwartz National Scholarship and the 2024-25 Dr. Trudy Eagan Women in Business Award at StFX, is not only an inspiring student in her own right, but her leadership has left an indelible mark through her advocacy efforts for equity, diversity, and inclusivity.
Among her many leadership roles, Ms. Morrison is co-president of the BLACC Student Society and is the representative for Students of African Descent on StFX’s Students’ Union, helping shape decisions and represent needs.
She is a recipient of a Racial Justice Leadership Grant from StFX’s Frank McKenna Center for Leadership for a project to help improve the university experience of Black students at a predominantly white institution. Additionally, she’s involved in a leadership capacity in residence life, serving as a community advisor for the past two years.
Ms. Morrison’s contributions don’t end there.
She serves as vice president of communications for the Schwartz Business Society, vice president of competition for JDCC, and is a campus tour guide. She has volunteered with Kevin’s Food Resource Center and the Rotaract Society, whose outreach benefits underprivileged youth and homeless individuals.
“I always try to fill my spare time with something productive,” says Ms. Morrison, who notes maintaining her commitments is important to her. “I like to be very focused and involved.”
As for her interest in business? “I’ve always liked it, from the time I divided things among my siblings to be fair,” says Ms. Morrison who plans to pursue her CPA designation after graduation and to work with Doane Grant Thornton in Antigonish.
“To me, the principles just make sense, the debits and the credits. I like when things are balanced.”
Coming to study at StFX from the Bahamas, she had to defer her first semester when her study permit wasn’t yet ready. Arriving a semester late, she decided she still wanted to graduate on track in May 2025 and took summer courses to make that a reality.
That first semester at StFX, she decided to take it easy, to settle into the new experience. She remembers coming from a country where it is warm year-found and how she hadn’t properly prepared for winter. She didn’t have enough warm blankets. Kevin’s Corner provided her with some and she soon started volunteering at the campus food resource centre. She also participated in DiscoverBox entrepreneurship workshops that year.
Ms. Morrison recalls she became more involved during her second year. She joined Xaverian Capital, a student investment fund, and societies including the Schwartz Business Society, JDCC, and Enactus.
In her third year, she joined the BLAAC Student Society, which had gone a bit dormant. She says she and a fellow student, Olajesu Abioye, worked that year to grow the society. This year she happily reports the society has more members and is able to offer more events. “I wanted to bring that engagement among the community.”
A highlight for her came during the second semester of her third year when she participated in a student exchange to Lille, France at the IESEG School of Management. The international business courses she took expanded her knowledge and expanded her ability to see from different perspectives.
“That was a transformative experience at StFX.”
For Ms. Morrison, African Heritage Month is important not only for people of that racial identity, but for everyone to recognize the influence and impact Black people have had on society. And it’s important to continue the work that must be done.
“There is still lots of work to be done and now is not the time to minimize the experience of Black people,” she says.
She encourages everyone to keep an open mind, to attend the events, and to ensure they take a learning experience from it and are not just going through the motions.
When StFX’s new Black Student Success Centre, the Dr. Agnes Calliste Academic and Cultural Centre, opened in November 2024, Ms. Morrison was one of the ceremony speakers.
She noted then how important it is that Black students at StFX have a space where they don’t just fit in, but truly belong.
“It is a home for our voices, our culture, our growth, and our journey. A place where we’re celebrated, not for conforming, but for being ourselves. And I am honoured to be part of a university that has created a place like this for us. The sense of belonging it fosters is powerful; it’s motivating. It reminds each of us that we are not alone, and that we are part of something greater—a legacy of students who came before us, and for students who are yet to come,” said Ms. Morrison.
