News Releases
Ottawa, Ontario, July 27, 2009 – The National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS) and BMO Capital Markets are pleased to announce the 10 outstanding winners of the 2009 NEADS Equity Through Education Student Awards Program.
The winners are: Esther Berman, Maya Chacaby, Michael Dadson, Carol Anne Lapointe, Richard Francis, Larissa Fulawka, Cameron Grose, Quyen Le, Jing Yu Li and Jennifer McCumber. This year's Awards are given in the categories of University Undergraduate Studies (Esther, Maya, Larissa, Carol Anne, Jennifer and Richard) Graduate Studies (Michael, Cameron, Quyen), and College/C�gep Studies (Jing Yu). All recipients will be receiving $3,000 each to support the costs of their tuition and student fees.
Esther Berman is entering her 4th year in the Commerce, Human Resource Management program at the University of Ottawa. She aspires to become successful in the field of human resources, in either the public or private sector. Maya Chacaby is pursuing an Honours Bachelor of Arts with a speciality in Aboriginal Studies at the University of Toronto. Maya runs an Ojibwe language group and is interested in Cree Martial Arts.
Michael Dadson is a graduate student at the University of British Columbia, completing a Ph.D in Counselling Psychology. His goal is to become a registered psychologist and an expert research practitioner, educator and supervisor. Carol Anne Lapointe is a recent graduate of McMaster University, with a combined Honours Bachelor of Arts in Women's Studies and Cultural Studies and Critical Theory. She is looking forward to a career working with women, either in a women's centre or in a women-centred community organization.
Richard Francis is entering the final year of a Bachelor of Social Sciences with Honours in Public Administration at the University of Ottawa. Richard plans to work in the public service in a policy research or analysis capacity. Larissa Fulawka is a graduate of the University of New Brunswick with a Bachelor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Leadership. Larissa wants to become an elementary school teacher.
Cameron Grose is entering the third year of a Doctor of Medicine at the University of British Columbia. He is part of the Northern Medical Program which offers the opportunity to train in satellite rural communities, allowing Cameron to tailor his clinical experiences to his interest in family medicine. Quyen Le is about to start the third year of the M.A. Counselling Psychology Program at Simon Fraser University. Quyen came to Canada as a Vietnamese refugee 14 years ago and has overcome many challenges along the way related to subsistence, language, culture, and disability to pursue her university studies.
Jing Yu Li is entering the second year of the Assaulted Women's and Children's Counselor Advocate Program at George Brown College, which provides students with a feminist analysis of the political and counselling issues related to violence against women and children. She plans work in the field, supporting women and children who have faced abuse in their lives. Jennifer McCumber is enroled at Ryerson University in the Bachelor of Arts in Disability Studies Program. Her career goal is to become a social worker, and a strong advocate for persons with disabilities.
"NEADS congratulates the 2009 winners of the NEADS Equity Through Education Student Awards,” said Dr. Mahadeo Sukhai, NEADS Past-President, and Chair of the selection committee. "There were many excellent candidates in this year's competition. The dedication, perseverance and achievements of this year's winners embody the spirit of the Awards program. We wish them all the very best in their studies, and look forward to watching their successes in the future. We are grateful to BMO Capital Markets for its generous funding of the Equity Through Education Student Awards."
“We want to applaud all of this year's winners. Their remarkable achievements will undoubtedly inspire young people with disabilities to harness all of the opportunities vital to achieving success,” said Eric Tripp, President of BMO Capital Markets and a champion of the NEADS Equity Through Education Student Awards program. “NEADS plays an important role in making these pursuits come to life and its mission to work together for increased accessibility throughout society ultimately results in equal access to learning.”
About BMO's Equity Through Education Program – www.bmocm.com/equitythrougheducation
Equity Through Education�, is a charitable initiative launched by BMO Capital Markets in 2005 to help people realize their educational ambitions by giving them the means to pursue those goals. Some of the proceeds from Equity Through Education, which has raised a total of $6.6 million to date, are used to fund several NEADS initiatives including Job Search Strategies Forums across Canada, the Equity Through Student Awards Program, and development work on our job site, the NEADS Online Work System: www.nows.ca.
For more information on the NEADS Equity Through Education Student Awards program please contact the NEADS office: National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS), Rm. 426 Unicentre, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, tel. (613) (613) 380-8065 , www.neads.ca or Kim Hanson, Media Relations, BMO Capital Markets, kim.hanson@bmo.com, (416) 867-3996.
- 30 -