Twenty-three students in degree programs at Conestoga College are the recipients of more than $30,000 in entrance and academic achievement scholarships provided by a number of College and community donors. Presentation of all these honours took place on February 25.
In addition, a new set of scholarships totaling $12,000 was presented to four outstanding diploma and degree students.
Conestoga's four-year degree programs are built upon an academic base that combines specific technical studies in the degree field, plus appropriate business and business management skills, and liberal studies courses. They are also built on an experiential base that combines theoretical studies with extensive project-based work and periods of co-op education employment.
Conestoga's degree programs are in the areas of architectural management, mechanical systems engineering, teletronics (advanced computer and telecommunication technologies), health informatics management and international business management. Conestoga is also a full partner in a joint Bachelor of Science in Nursing program with McMaster University.
Most of these scholarships have gone to students who are in their first year at Conestoga, but several went to "bridging" students, who have already completed a college diploma or university degree and have gained entry into the first semester of the third year of these four-year baccalaureate programs.
The roster of entrance scholarship winners is as follows. The schools indicated in parentheses are the secondary schools of graduation.
The COM DEV International Entrance Scholarships
Two students in their first year at Conestoga have earned scholarships: Ryan Singh (Waterloo Collegiate Institute) received $1,000 in the Mechanical Systems Engineering program and Nathan Domingo (Cameron Heights Collegiate Institute, Kitchener) won $1,000 in Integrated Telecommunication and Computer Technologies.
The Manulife Health Informatics Management Scholarship
The $1,000 award has gone to Krizia Mae Francisco (Monsignor Doyle Catholic Secondary School, Cambridge), who is a Bachelor of Applied Health Sciences - Health Informatics Management student.
The Manulife Nursing Scholarship
Ashley Pajunen (Grand River Collegiate Institute, Kitchener), a student in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, is the winner of this $1,000 award.
The Melloul Blamey Construction Scholarship
Sardar Ghaderi (Cameron Heights Collegiate Institute, Kitchener) is the winner of this $1,000 award, which goes to a bridging student who enters the third year of the Architecture - Project and Facility Management program with advanced standing.
The Canadian Healthcare Engineering Society (Ontario) Scholarship
Jessica Steckly (St. Mary's High School, Kitchener) is in the Architecture - Project and Facility Management program and has won this $500 award, which goes to a second-year degree program student.
The MTE Consultants Scholarship
Stephanie Klages (Walkerton District Secondary School) is winner of this $500 award, which goes to a student in the third or fourth year of degree studies. She is in the Architecture - Project and Facility Management program.
The International Facility Management Association Scholarships
The IFMA recognizes Conestoga's Architecture - Project and Facility Management program as one of only 13 programs in the world, and the only one in Canada, to meet its degree program standards for the profession. The IFMA Scholarships are based on academic achievement, program involvement, faculty appraisals and student resumes.
Receiving IFMA honours are: Dana Brash (Bayridge Secondary School, Kingston), who is winner of the $1,500 scholarship sponsored by the Canadian chapters of IFMA; Laura Murray (Sacred Heart High School, Walkerton), who is winner of the $4,000 scholarship sponsored by the Corporate Facilities Council of IFMA; and Stephanie Klages (Walkerton District Secondary School), who is winner of the $2,000 scholarship sponsored by IFMA's Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex chapter.
The President's Degree Entrance Scholarships
Sponsored by Conestoga College, there are two of these scholarships for each degree program -- a $1,500 first-place scholarship and a $1,000 second-place scholarship.
In the Architecture - Project and Facility Management program, Erik Collings (Monsignor Doyle Catholic Secondary School, Cambridge) received the $1,500 award and Yumna Nasir (Sir John A. Macdonald Secondary School, Waterloo) the $1,000 award.
In the Mechanical Systems Engineering program, Alyssa Ryzebol (Toronto District Christian High School, Woodbridge) received the $1,500 award and Ryan VanVeen (Listowel District Secondary School) the $1,000 award.
In the Integrated Telecommunication and Computer Technologies program, Neil Murray (Kitchener-Waterloo Collegiate and Vocational School) received the $1,500 award and Radhika Chhibbar (Sir John A. Macdonald Secondary School, Waterloo) the $1,000 award.
In the International Business Management program, Nickolas Goetz (Cameron Heights Collegiate Institute, Kitchener) received the $1,500 award and Amanda Markovich (St. Patrick's Catholic High School, Sarnia) the $1,000 award.
In the Nursing program, Lining Cui (St. Louis Adult Learning Centre, Kitchener) received the $1,500 award and Carrie Grenville (Laura Secord Secondary School, St. Catharines) the $1,000 award.
The Conestoga College Alumni Association Scholarships
These scholarships are sponsored by the Alumni Association and go to outstanding alumni of the College who have chosen to go on to baccalaureate studies at Conestoga as bridging students who enter the third year of a degree program. Winners of these $1,000 awards are Brian Helm (Preston High School, Cambridge) and Alita Jones (Northern Secondary School, Toronto). Helm graduated in 2006 from Conestoga's Business Administration - Materials Management program and then entered the International Business Management program. Jones, a 1999 graduate of Conestoga's Welding Engineering Technician program, is now in the Architecture - Project and Facility Management program.
The Neil Aitchison/Conestoga Students Inc. Scholarships
Sponsored by Conestoga Students Inc., the student association, these $3,000 scholarships honour Neil Aitchison, the first Conestoga diploma program graduate.
Inaugural winners of this honour are: Vanessa Gale (Sop's Arm Central High School, White Bay, N.L.) of the Practical Nursing program at Conestoga; Elycia Martin (Elmira District Secondary School) of Early Childhood Education; Lori-Beth Pentsa (Sir John A. Macdonald Secondary School, Waterloo) of Business Administration - Marketing; and Vanessa Somos (Centennial Collegiate and Vocational Institute, Guelph) of the Nursing degree program.
CONTACT: Dr. Robert Carley, 519-748-5220, ext. 2217, bcarley@conestogac.on.ca