2011 Torchia Scholarship Winner Announced

Toronto – Melodie Hamel Trepanier, Danville, Quebec, is the winner of the fifth annual Torchia Scholarship in Public Relations/ Communications, awarded by the Communications + Public Relations Foundation. The $1,500 annual Scholarship was establishedto recognize a student who best exemplifies the spirit and practice of bilingualism in the Canadian communications and public relations profession.

A student at Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, Hamel Trepanier is entering the second year of the Bachelor of Public Relations program. She holds a diploma in business management from CEGEP de Sherbrooke and is fluent in English and French.

"The jury is proud to award the Torchia Scholarship to Melodie," said jury chair Antoine Landry. "She has demonstrated a significant commitment to the profession, a passion for public relations study and a strong belief in Canada’s biculturalism."

In 2010, Hamel Trepanier served a three month co-op internship in France, with Novotel's Chateau de Maffliers (Paris) where she learned how to handle key issues related to hotel management. She has also completed an internship with SR Forêts, Danville, Quebec, a real estate company, where she learned all aspects of company management.

She is currently participating in an exchange program with Södertörn University College, Stockholm, Sweden, a university known for its emphasis on diversity, interdisciplinary exposure and critical thinking.

"Public relations practice today has an increasingly international focus. Hamel Trepanier will be well prepared to take on the challenges of globalization with her commitment to a multi-cultural and internationally focused education", said Dr. Amy Thurlow, Assistant Professor, Public Relations, Mount Saint Vincent University.

The Torchia Scholarship is awarded to a communications student who has chosen to study public relations/communications in one of Canada’s two official languages that is not his/her first language or mother tongue, and who is entering the second year of study in a Canadian university degree program or multi-year certificate or diploma program that meets recognized standards of education.

"Speaking multiple languages enriches students, gives them a competitive edge and a greater appreciation for other cultures and ways of thinking, which often leads to exciting career opportunities," said Jean-Claude Torchia, President and CEO of Torchia Communications. "Torchia Communications is very proud to support this Scholarship and what it stands for. We extend our congratulations to Melodie as she embarks on what promises to be a outstanding career."

The Torchia Scholarship monies are managed by the Communications + Public Relations Foundation. The Foundation promotes the advancement of communications and public relations as vital functions in society, is dedicated to the public interest, and is committed to increasing public knowledge and awareness of the role of communications and public relations in daily life. The Foundation accepts individual and corporate contributions towards research and educational initiatives nationwide.

For more information about the Foundation and its public relations educational initiatives, contact Barbara Sheffield, Executive Director, Communications + Public Relations Foundation, foundation@prmediaconnection.com.

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Calgary Legacy Scholarship launched by CPRS Calgary and
Communications + Public Relations Foundation

Toronto – Canadian Public Relations Society, Calgary chapter and the Communications + Public Relations Foundation have signed an agreement to partner in the establishment of the $1,000 Calgary Legacy Scholarship to be awarded annually to a student studying public relations/communications in a recognized program at one of Mount Royal University, University of Calgary, or SAIT Polytechnic.

Eligible students from those educational institutes will have completed year one of their studies and be entering second year, demonstrated overall understanding of public relations and communications, its theoretical and practical elements, values and principles. They must hold a student membership in CPRS Calgary.

The first submission deadline for application is February 29, 2012, with a winner determined by a jury of senior public relations professionals in March and announced in April.

Students will be required to submit a curriculum vitae, an application form, letter from their education institute that attests to eligibility and a two-page written submission on a specified topic. Application forms and detailed information is available from the Communications + Public Relations Foundation, by contacting foundation@prmediaconnection.com. The Foundation will manage the Scholarship including the annual competition and establishment of a scholarship jury.

About CPRS
The Canadian Public Relations Society is a national public relations membership organization with 16 member societies based in major cities or organized province-wide. It establishes and encourages high levels of professional standards, ethics and studies in the field of public relations.

About the Communications + Public Relations Foundation
The Communications + Public Relations Foundation is a pan-Canadian organization that unites business, government, academic leaders and public relations practitioners in the advancement of public relations education through scholarships, awards, lectures and funding of research initiatives that promote ethical practice and professionalism in public communications.

During the past two years, The Foundation has made original public relations/communications research grants to two Calgarians— Jeremy Berry, MA, AMRC, APR, assistant professor at Mount Royal University, Calgary, to support his research: An Assessment of Perceived Writing Skills of Entry-Level Public Relations Practitioners in Canada, in co-operation with the Michigan State University; and to public relations practitioner, Colleen Killingsworth, MCM, APR, ABC, FCPRS, a graduate student at McMaster University, Hamilton related to her research focussed on Executive Perspectives on Communication Leadership Competencies and Credentials.

The Foundation accepts individual and corporate contributions towards research and educational initiatives nationwide. All donors receive an income tax receipt for their gifts.

For more information about the Foundation and its public relations educational initiatives, contact Barbara Sheffield, Executive Director, Communications + Public Relations Foundation, foundation@prmediaconnection.com.

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