Montréal, May 15, 2019 – The Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal awarded 13 scholarships to high school students as part of Operation Back to School, a Chamber program that has been encouraging school success and retention for the past 23 years. The scholarships were awarded on May 9 at Cossette’s offices, with Michel Leblanc, president and CEO of the Chamber, and Mélanie Dunn, global president and CEO of Cossette, chair of the Chamber and sponsor of Operation Back to School, on hand.
“I am honoured to be the sponsor of this edition of Operation Back to School,” Mélanie Dunn said. “I firmly believe in the importance of students staying in school, because education is what provides fuel for the development of our economy and our society. Education is the very essence of social progress and actively contributes to progress in innovation. This is why we need to remind young people of the importance of staying in school, to inspire them and to show them that having a diploma opens doors. I would like to thank the teachers and speakers for their involvement with Operation Back to School, and the ambassadors who provided the scholarships, without whom this initiative would not have been possible.
“For the past 23 years, the Chamber has promoted school retention and educational success among young people,” said Michel Leblanc, president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal. “The economy is facing major labour challenges, and it is our duty to ensure that young people, who are the future, can tap into their full potential and contribute to the success of society. To do this, they need daily encouragement. Operation Back to School gives them a chance to meet business professionals to draw from them the inspiration they need to overcome any difficulties they encounter along the way.”
“We are particularly proud of the results of Operation Back to School,” Mr. Leblanc said. “This year, 4,200 students from high schools and adult education centres got advice from business people through conferences. In the last decade alone, over 100 scholarships totalling $135,000 have been awarded to participating students.”
Operation Back to School ran from November 1, 2018 to April 30, 2019 and gave over 4,200 students the chance to attend presentations by over 105 business professionals who visited high schools in the metropolitan area.
Thanks to the support of the Operation Back to School ambassadors, this year the Chamber awarded 13 $1,500 scholarships to students who distinguished themselves for their commitment to and efforts at school. These scholarships help recipients pursue their studies in professional, technical or university programs.
The following high school students and community organizations were recognized:
- Alexia Morrissette – École Marie-Anne
- Frédérick Poissant – Carrefour jeunesse-emploi Huntingdon
- Jisi Esber – École Édouard-Montpetit
- Ekta Patel – École Lucien-Pagé
- Myka Narcisse Chapleau – École secondaire Amos
- Alexandre Hamel Martin – École secondaire Père-Marquette
- Félix Pierre Gravereaux – École Eulalie-Durocher
- Maroua Harras – École secondaire Évangéline
- Émily Filiatrault-Bertrand – École secondaire Monseigneur-Richard
- Meg-Anne Poirier – École secondaire Monseigneur-Richard
- Natacha Provost Charrette – Carrefour jeunesse-emploi de Laval
- Frédéric Bourque – Carrefour jeunesse-emploi de Laval
- Owen Erb – St. Thomas High School
Operation Back to School is produced with the financial support of Montréal Relève and the participation of its Gold ambassadors: Cossette, RBC and Ubisoft; as well as its Silver ambassadors: Aéroports de Montréal, CN, the Montreal CPA Group, Pomerleau and Rio Tinto. The Chamber would also like to thank its association partners: Academos, JA Québec and Montreal Hooked on School.
About the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal (CCMM)
With a network of over 7,000 members, the CCMM is active on two fronts: being the voice of the Montréal business community and delivering specialized services to businesses and their representatives. With its finger on the pulse of current events, it acts on issues that are decisive for the prosperity of the city’s businesses. With the support of the Acclr experts, the CCMM’s goal is to accelerate the creation and growth of businesses of all sizes, at home and around the world.
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Source:
Julie Serero
Advisor, Media Relations
Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal
Tel.: 514 871-4000, ext. 4042
jserero@ccmm.ca
Facebook: www.facebook.com/chambremontreal
Twitter: @chambremontreal
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