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/Cégep 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.
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