By Geoff Smith (@GeoffSmithLNN on Twitter)

Journalist, airline exec, former NHL star honoured by Lethbridge high school

May 13, 2018 | 8:20 AM

LETHBRIDGE – Three people who have achieved success in the fields of journalism, business, and sports were honoured by their alma mater in a ceremony Friday, May 11.

Winston Churchill High School inducted Judy Trinh, Devon May, and Bryce Salvador into its Hall of Fame. They bring the number of names to 41 inducted since 1990.

Trinh, a 1992 graduate, is a reporter with CBC Ottawa, where she was honoured with a Gemini Award for her reporting on soot from a crematorium. She also covered the Parliament Hill attack and has been reporting on the #MeToo movement.

In her remarks, she addressed the week’s top news story: the viral video of a woman’s racist tirade at a restaurant. Trinh and her family members arrived in Lethbridge as refugees from Vietnam. She recalled an incident as a child when a racial slur was directed at her, and she learned how harmful words can be.

“I think that this generation is amazing in the sense of how they are able to use technology to mobilize for action and I think that journalism is in good hands even though it’s at risk,” Trinh said prior to the ceremony.

Week-in-review: Federal Budget, water agreements and success for tourism industry

Apr 20, 2024

What's Happening in Lethbridge this weekend: April 19, 2024

Apr 19, 2024

What's Happening in Lethbridge this week: April 15, 2024

Apr 15, 2024

“It is fine that we pursue social media. We want to go viral. But we have to remember the intrinsic compassion that’s needed for change. That’s what counts right now: how many page views you have, how many followers, how many likes. But in terms of making an impact, it is at a very intrinsic level a personal level that requires getting to know someone face to face.”

Trinh, who has degrees from the University of Alberta and Western University, has also been nominated for a Canadian Screen Award and a National Magazine Award. She was honoured by Canadian Journalists for Free Expression for a documentary about gay high school students.

May, who graduated from Churchill in 1993, is Senior Vice-President of Network Strategy with American Airlines, based in Dallas/Fort Worth. He has degrees from the University of Lethbridge and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and has also worked for Continental Airlines, America West Airlines, and US Airways.

“I think foundationally, math, science, English, and social studies is what it is,” May told Lethbridge News Now. “I think I got a really nice foundation from the school.

“More importantly, though, it was a great set of role models. It was dedication and teamwork, and that is what has prepared me to do the job I’m in today.”

May’s work in the industry has involved administration, finances, and international route planning.

Not present at the ceremony was Salvador, but the school hopes to have him there later in the year. The Brandon native attended Churchill, graduating in 1994 while playing for the Lethbridge Hurricanes, where he spent his entire WHL career. He helped lead the team to the 1997 WHL Championship, and in 1995 was honoured by the league as Scholastic Player of the Year.

In 14 seasons in the NHL, Salvador played in 780 regular season games and 74 playoff games with the St. Louis Blues and New Jersey Devils. He was part of the New Jersey team that appeared in the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals and was the Devils’ captain from 2013-2015 when he retired.

Salvador is co-owner of xHockeyProducts, which is involved with training and off-ice player development. He has also been a promoter and supporter of youth hockey as well as concussion assessment and recovery in the New Jersey area.

This past season Salvador joined MSG Networks as a studio analyst on Devils broadcasts.