Media

OTTAWA, February 4, 2011  —  On Thursday, January 27, 2011, the CIBC Mentoring Scholarship was awarded to Marie-Isabelle Beyer, a third-year honours student in international development and globalization at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Social Sciences.

Marie-Isabelle Beyer, who has worked as a student mentor for the Faculty of Social Sciences since 2008, is the nineteenth person to receive the CIBC scholarship, which was created six years ago. She qualified for the scholarship by achieving academic excellence as a first-generation student and using her experiences to guide others in their studies. She would like to pursue a career in the field of humanitarian assistance after completing a master’s degree. In the meantime, she plans on using her scholarship to do a three-month internship for a non-governmental organization in Nepal.

“Helping young people to reach their full potential is a strategic focus of CIBC’s community investment program. We are especially proud to support this one-of-a-kind scholarship program, as it celebrates the invaluable rewards of mentorship,” says Sylvain Vinet, senior vice-president, CIBC Retail Markets in Eastern Canada. “We congratulate Marie-Isabelle Beyer on this achievement, which is a testament not only to her commitment to her own academic success but also to that of her peers.”

A reception held in honour of the uOttawa’s CIBC Mentoring Scholarship recipient was also an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the dedication and hard work of all uOttawa student mentors. Speakers at the event included François Houle, vice-president academic and provost, Murray Sang, director of the Student Academic Success Service, and Alison Phillips, CIBC district branch manager for Ottawa.

About the Mentorship Program
Established in 2002, the Mentorship Program at the University of Ottawa is designed to increase student success rates, increase student retention and enhance students’ academic experience by having students help other students. Since the inception of the program, there has been a significant increase in the number of mentoring centres, student mentors and visits to the mentoring centres.

About the CIBC Mentoring Scholarship
CIBC is one of Canada’s largest corporate donors and is committed to helping our country’s youth prepare for the future. Since its creation in 2004, the CIBC Mentoring Scholarship has been awarded annually to student mentors displaying strong academic, leadership and coaching skills.