2005 Ruth Hammond Scholarship Winner Announced

Toronto, Ontario - Natalie Dawes, a native of Saltcoats, Saskatchewan, is the 2005 winner of the Ruth Hammond Scholarship awarded to a public relations student in the final year of the Bachelor of Public Relations program at Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU), Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Natalie’s early studies were in music at Brandon University and in Winnipeg and Toronto. From there she found her way to Bachelor of Public Relations degree program at Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax. She will graduate in May, 2006.

With a 4.0 grade point average, she is currently completing a work term as a communications co-ordinator at United Farmers of Alberta (UFA) in Calgary. She has also completed work terms at Jazz East and the TD Canada Trust Atlantic Jazz Festival in Halifax, and Bell Canada in Calgary.

“Natalie Dawes sets a new high-water mark for excellence among young public relations professionals," says Richard Peter, Manager of Corporate Communications for UFA, who has hired Natalie for co-op terms twice. "Natalie's talent reflects an unprecedented combination of skill, instinct, commitment to learn and ability to think strategically."

Natalie has received numerous awards recognizing her leadership ability and scholastic achievements. She has served on the Mount Saint Vincent Art Gallery Advisory Council and is a co-founder of All Rights Reserved, a student-run literary journal where she has also fulfilled the role of fiction and graphic arts editor.

MSVU is recognized for its academic excellence and creative learning approaches. With approximately 4,500 students from across Canada and around the globe, it offers 35 undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, sciences and an array of professional programs.

The Ruth Hammond Scholarship was established by Ruth's friends and colleagues in the Canadian Public Relations Society (Toronto) to honour her lifetime commitment to public relations education in Canada. The scholarship, currently awarded by MSVU, acknowledges a student who has completed at least two public relations co-op work terms and who has demonstrated outstanding academic achievement, leadership abilities and dedication to establishing a career in the public relations field.

Ruth Hammond, APR, is a life member of the Canadian Public Relations Society, Inc., and Honorary Fellow of CPRS. She holds an Honorary Doctorate from Mount Saint Vincent University.

The Ruth Hammond Scholarship Fund is managed by the Communications and 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.