Brighter futures for local students
The Lampe Foundation brightened yet more student lives last Thursday with their annual award ceremony. The non-profit organization gave a medley of financial prizes to some of the most hardworking local students.
“Our goal is to support institutions from the Townships” said co-president Carol Mooney. The foundation receives money from local organizations to fund the awards, she explained. The donors then decide what areas the money will go towards.
“There are a variety of awards” said Mooney, explaining that there are over 30 awards to be given every year, with almost half going to students studying in the health industry.
Mary José Teste, who is the first winner of the Sherbrooke Hospital Ladies Auxillary Argyll Pavillion Health Award commented about the ceremony: “My son and I really enjoyed it. The Lampe Foundation team did a terrific job and I'm very proud to be honored with the bursary.”
Antoine Laramée, scholarship winner from l’école de Réadaptation de l’université de Sherbrooke added that:
“It is a great honor for me to be awarded this scholarship. I aspire to play an active part in this honorable project of ‘Lighting the way to a brighter future’.”
The awards vary between $1 000 to $15 000. The largest, the Tillotson Physician’s Award, is provided to the winner over a four-year period, given that the student can maintain their academic average, amounting to a total of $20 000.
These awards, according to Mooney, are not given solely on the basis of academic achievement.
“They are to encourage students to persevere” she said, adding that the foundation looks at the community involvement of the student, as well the amount of effort they put into their studies.
The Lampe Foundation does not only give out financial aid, but also commends students on their efforts, even setting them up with mentorship programs.
Charles de Sainte Marie of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at the CHUS commented that he looks forward to this event every year:
“What the Lampe foundation does is very unique and something that needs to be seen by other organizations like it. In a very genuine, down-to-earth manner, they build community in a wonderful way.”
The Lampe Foundation also inaugurated a new award this year in January called the Roberta Cameron Champlain Aboriginal Awards. The awards, which will be granted annually, were won this year by three native students from Champlain Regional College: Vanessa Dingle, Kaitlin Osbourne and Tyauna Gosselin.