Isaac Hierlihy of Quispamsis, NB, and Jona White of Vancouver, BC, students at StFX’s Gerald Schwartz School of Business, have been named among eight exceptional recipients of the 2026 Frank H. Sobey Awards for Excellence in Business Studies. Each will receive $45,000 and a dedicated mentor, recognizing their outstanding academic achievements, entrepreneurial leadership, and commitment to their communities.
“The 2026 award recipients demonstrated academic excellence, proven entrepreneurial leadership and a deep commitment to giving back to their communities,” the Board of Trustees of the Frank H. Sobey Awards for Excellence in Business Studies said in making the announcement.
“Selected from 34 outstanding candidates nominated by the deans of their respective business schools, the final eight were chosen through a rigorous selection process. The remarkable caliber of all the applicants made the final decisions both challenging and inspiring.”
Each student recognized by this award will receive $45,000 and will also be paired with an experienced mentor through the award’s mentorship program. Feedback from past recipients consistently highlights the mentorship as a defining feature of the award, valued as highly as the financial support.
“I want to express my gratitude to the Board of Trustees of the Frank H. Sobey Awards for Excellence in Business Studies for recognizing and supporting the growth of such truly exceptional student business leaders across the Maritimes each year. The Gerald Schwartz School of Business is proud to have two students recognized among this year’s award recipients," says Schwartz School Dean of Business Dr. Lisa Watson. "Our values here at Schwartz are strongly aligned with those recognized by these awards. I know Isaac and Jona will make the most of the mentorship and funding provided through this award. I look forward to watching each of them use this opportunity to continue to grow as leaders and entrepreneurs, and make real positive impacts on the world.”
Meet Isaac Hierlihy
Isaac Hierlihy is a StFX student and a Schwartz National Scholar. He participates on many student societies and academic teams, having won several awards for his achievements. As vice president of Xaverian Capital, he helps manage an $800,000 TSX-listed stock portfolio on behalf of StFX University. In the workplace, his successes as an intern at Deloitte have earned him a position at Scotiabank Investment Banking this summer. A serial entrepreneur, he started his first (apparel) business and was offering financial literacy courses though Kaleidoscope Social Impact while still in high school. He co-founded and grew a five-figure part-time pressure washing business while a student at the Schwartz School. In his extracurricular activity, he is co-president of Enactus StFX, an international social entrepreneurship competition, and vice president of sales for Pucks for Purpose, a hockey-centered fundraising initiative that has raised over $200,000 for Motionball for Special Olympics and the Canadian Cancer Society. As an entrepreneur, he is creating his next business. He has already raised $65,000 to build Athlete Aid, an injury management system that addresses significant gaps in student athlete care pre- and post-injury.
Meet Jona White
Jona White is also a Schwartz National Scholar. He also won several academic awards for his performance in case and pitch competitions, and as a member of Xaverian Capital, he helps manage an $800,000 TSX-listed stock portfolio on behalf of StFX University. Most notably, he earned a position in the Office of the Global COO of KPMG only two months after being accepted as a second-year student into an intern position typically reserved for third years and after being chosen as one of three interns (out of over 500) to represent KPMG Canada at their global leadership conference in Portugal. His initiative extends beyond the workplace and into his community engagement activities. As vice president of Pucks for Purpose, a hockey-centered fundraising initiative that has raised over $200,000 for Motionball for Special Olympics and the Canadian Cancer Society, he added three new events to its portfolio that served to more than double the funds raised in one year. Jona has won several pitch competitions, generating proof of concept and initial seed money for his recent start-up venture Pikl Glasses. Pikl Glasses repurpose broken pickleballs into sunglasses.
The eight award recipients will be formally honoured at a celebratory luncheon taking place on March 26, 2026. In addition to the eight award winners, the remaining 26 finalists will each receive a $3,500 award in recognition of their exceptional achievements.
About the Frank H. Sobey Awards for Excellence in Business Studies
The Frank H. Sobey Awards for Excellence in Business Studies began in 1989 to support the development of future business leaders and business programs at Atlantic Canadian Universities. This prestigious award honours students based on academics, entrepreneurship, leadership, community involvement, philanthropy, and career aspirations. Each academic year eight awards are offered to full-time undergraduate students of business studies in universities in the Atlantic Provinces. The Frank H. Sobey Awards for Excellence in Business Studies has awarded more than $4 million to students since its inception.
