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Polytechnique Montréal presents the first Claudette-MacKay-Lassonde Excellence Scholarship to Ruby Sinclair
Ruby Sinclair, an undergraduate student in mechanical engineering at Queen's University, has been awarded a $25,000 excellence scholarship named in memory of Claudette MacKay-Lassonde by our engineering university. This new annual scholarship supports young women studying in their second or third year of undergraduate engineering studies in Canada.
Left to right: Julie Lassonde, Chair of the Board of the Canadian Engineering Memorial Foundation; Ruby Sinclair, first recipient of the Claudette-MacKay-Lassonde Excellence Scholarship; Valérie Bélisle, Vice President of Philanthropy and Alumni Relations. (Photo: Éric Carrière)
When it wound down its activities, the Canadian Engineering Memorial Foundation (CEMF) entrusted its mission to Polytechnique Montréal and created this annual Canada-wide scholarship for students who demonstrate the values of leadership, academic excellence and community engagement exemplified by CEMF founder Claudette MacKay-Lassonde, a Polytechnique graduate.
“We at Polytechnique Montréal are very proud to present this national scholarship to its first recipient, Ruby Sinclair,” said Maud Cohen, President of Polytechnique Montréal. “From now on, the Claudette-MacKay-Lassonde Excellence Scholarship will be awarded every year to support the advancement of engineering. Ruby Sinclair’s passion and commitment made her an outstanding candidate for this distinction. We know she will inspire other young women to pursue their dreams in engineering and actively contribute to the development of our society.”
“Before applying for this scholarship, I read up about Claudette MacKay-Lassonde to find out more about her,” said Ruby Sinclair. “I learned she was not only the first woman president of Professional Engineers Ontario but also the driving force behind the creation of the CEMF. After the 1989 Polytechnique tragedy, she transformed her grief into a positive, concrete and lasting legacy. She is a reminder that engineering isn’t just about the world we are building but also the people we are building it for. Receiving this scholarship is more than an honour for me; it is a chance to follow in the footsteps of women like Claudette MacKay-Lassonde, women who didn’t wait to be invited into the halls of engineering but pushed their way in and reshaped the profession for everyone.”
Left to right: Bruna Pace, Director of the Canadian Engineering Memorial Foundation; Julie Lassonde, Chair of the Board of the Canadian Engineering Memorial Foundation; A. Keith Pilkey, Professor and Head of the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at Queen's University; Ruby Sinclair, first recipient of the Claudette-MacKay-Lassonde Excellence Scholarship; Maud Cohen, President of Polytechnique Montréal. (Photo: Éric Carrière)
“By providing financial support for exceptional students like Ruby Sinclair, this scholarship will help inspire the next generation of female engineers in Canada and fuel the aspirations of exceptional, engaged young women who will transform society in the future,” said Julie Lassonde, the daughter of Claudette MacKay-Lassonde. “This above all is what Claudette MacKay-Lassonde wanted to achieve and the scholarship named in her honour realizes that hope.”
The jury, selected by Polytechnique Montréal, was composed of Alexandra Conliffe, CEO of the McCall MacBain Foundation; Jason Carey, Dean of Campus Saint-Jean at the University of Alberta; and Stéphanie Lassonde, Vice President, Marketing and Communications at Pomerleau.
After receiving the Claudette-MacKay-Lassonde Excellence Scholarship, Ruby Sinclair led a bridge-building workshop with campers at the Folie Technique summer science camp. (Photo: Éric Carrière)
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