The top 5 student stories of 2017

From a pair of Rhodes Scholars to risk takers and life savers, UAlberta's best and brightest made the exceptional seem normal.

1. Nursing student helped injured man during attack in Edmonton

Fourth-year nursing student Nena Powell was the right person in the right place at the right time for one victim of last September's attack in downtown Edmonton.

2. Two UAlberta students receive Rhodes Scholarships for 2018

One wants to make life better for teenage mothers and seniors; the other wants to help people with physical disabilities become more mobile. Both are going to Oxford next fall to pursue their goals.

3. Four UAlberta students launch bong crowdfunding

Sparking up a stale paraphernalia industry, these enterprising students aim to bring innovative technology and sleek design to the modern marijuana user's living-room coffee table.

4. Born into nursing

Twin sisters Domonique and Danielle Bourque were born while their mom was in her third year of nursing at the U of A. Last June, both graduated with nursing degrees of their own.

5. How a pair of UAlberta engineering students intend to conquer the competitive cosmetics industry

Akash Gupta and Sravya Kalyanapu have a great product: a socially conscious, all-natural lipstick. But to take their business from the kitchen stove to the mass market, they have to make it through the "valley of death" that awaits cash-strapped startups.