* Posthumous Award

Coach, Mohawk College, McMaster University

Kelly Dunham was a proud athlete, coach, higher education professional, and community builder beyond campus.

Kelly first joined Mohawk College as a student and Mountaineer athlete. She was a two-time MVP softball player and captain of the women’s basketball team.

Following graduation, Kelly remained at the college. She worked in various roles in continuing education, athletics, as faculty, and for the college’s foundation, spending most of her years at Mohawk College working in the alumni relations department as alumni coordinator. In 2019, she left the college to pursue her passion for athletics, taking on the role of varsity coordinator for McMaster University.

Kelly was a leader in women’s basketball at McMaster University, Mohawk College, with the Hamilton Transway Basketball Club, and at the CANUSA Games and Olympia Sports Camp, volunteering countless hours as a coach and mentor to young girls and female student athletes.

Following her passing in May 2020, the Kelly Dunham Memorial Scholarship Fund was set up, in partnership with Mohawk College and McMaster University, to provide financial support to female students in varsity basketball. One year later, the Kelly Dunham Memorial Foundation was also created to continue to honour Kelly’s legacy and her belief in empowering others.