Polytechnique Montréal announces the recipient of the 10th Order of the White Rose scholarship, Makenna Kuzyk, who receives a $50,000 award
Photo: Annie Diotte
“The past recipients of the Order of the White Rose are all young women driven by extraordinary passion, which makes them exceptional citizens,” said Maud Cohen, President, Polytechnique Montréal. “Makenna Kuzyk has that same passion. It has the power to change the world, and so it must be encouraged to the greatest extent possible. Makenna is a pioneer, and we are all extremely proud to help her take the next steps in her impressive and promising academic journey. I have no doubt that her career will be nothing less than stellar, and this honour bestowed on her today is fully deserved.”
“Today, we remember the 14 women in engineering whose lives were taken in 1989, and we find strength in the trail that they blazed for future generations,” Ms. Kuzyk said. “In my case, that trail leads to the stars. Our space program is an incredible, powerful mission that aims to expand the frontiers of discovery for the betterment of life on Earth. Not only that, but the secrets of the skies cannot be unlocked by any one person, and I want to be part of the team promoting co-operation between the countries exploring space together. This vision isn’t just about pushing back the frontiers of space travel; it’s also about building a better future that honours the people who came before us, and about sustaining our planet and its inhabitants to come.”
Reaching for the sky—and beyond
The white rose has become the symbol for Polytechnique Montréal’s commemorations of the tragic events of December 6, 1989, during which 14 women lost their lives and many other people were injured. Created in 2014, the Order of the White Rose pays tribute to those killed and wounded as well as to family members, faculty, staff and students who were caught up in this tragedy that had a profound impact on Québec and all of Canada.
Nathalie Provost, who was injured on December 6, 1989, and Michèle Thibodeau-DeGuire, who in 1963 was the first woman to graduate from Polytechnique Montréal in civil engineering, are the scholarship’s “godmothers.” Michèle Prévost, a full professor at Polytechnique and a member of the university’s Board of Directors, was the chair of this year’s Order of the White Rose jury.
The jury, established by Polytechnique, comprised the deans of engineering of Dalhousie, McGill and Queen’s universities, Université de Sherbrooke, the University of Toronto and the University of Waterloo. Applications for the Order of the White Rose scholarship are assessed based on the candidate’s academic record, technical achievements and engagement toward the greater good.
“The Order of the White Rose is the custodian of our collective memory of the femicide of December 6, 1989, and through the scholarship and its recipients, we keep the flame of remembrance burning for these extraordinary women who were my classmates and, sadly, are no longer with us,” said Ms. Provost.
Ms. Thibodeau-DeGuire added: “All of the young women who are candidates for our Order of the White Rose scholarship every year are exceptional. They are our leaders of tomorrow, future agents of change and transformation for our society, sources of inspiration and pride for all of us—in short, proof that our common future is in good hands.”
For her part, Professor Prévost noted: “Year after year, the women who apply for the Order of the White Rose are all truly outstanding, and I am always impressed by their journeys. They are among the very best at their respective universities, and without a doubt will be leaders in the future. I am sure that through their passion and unwavering commitment, each of them will help make the world a better place.
Outstanding women who will be the leaders of tomorrow
The white rose has become the symbol for Polytechnique Montréal’s commemorations of the tragic events of December 6, 1989, during which 14 women lost their lives and many other people were injured. Created in 2014, the Order of the White Rose pays tribute to those killed and wounded as well as to family members, faculty, staff and students who were caught up in this tragedy that had a profound impact on Québec and all of Canada.
Nathalie Provost, who was injured on December 6, 1989, and Michèle Thibodeau-DeGuire, who in 1963 was the first woman to graduate from Polytechnique Montréal in civil engineering, are the scholarship’s “godmothers.” Michèle Prévost, a full professor at Polytechnique and a member of the university’s Board of Directors, was the chair of this year’s Order of the White Rose jury.
The jury, established by Polytechnique, comprised the deans of engineering of Dalhousie, McGill and Queen’s universities, Université de Sherbrooke, the University of Toronto and the University of Waterloo. Applications for the Order of the White Rose scholarship are assessed based on the candidate’s academic record, technical achievements and engagement toward the greater good.
“The Order of the White Rose is the custodian of our collective memory of the femicide of December 6, 1989, and through the scholarship and its recipients, we keep the flame of remembrance burning for these extraordinary women who were my classmates and, sadly, are no longer with us,” said Ms. Provost.
Ms. Thibodeau-DeGuire added: “All of the young women who are candidates for our Order of the White Rose scholarship every year are exceptional. They are our leaders of tomorrow, future agents of change and transformation for our society, sources of inspiration and pride for all of us—in short, proof that our common future is in good hands.”
For her part, Professor Prévost noted: “Year after year, the women who apply for the Order of the White Rose are all truly outstanding, and I am always impressed by their journeys. They are among the very best at their respective universities, and without a doubt will be leaders in the future. I am sure that through their passion and unwavering commitment, each of them will help make the world a better place.”
The Order of the White Rose scholarship: a vital role that will soon grow
Thirty-five years after the mass femicide on its campus, and on the occasion of the 10th awarding of the Order of the White Rose scholarship, Polytechnique Montréal is looking to the future and now plans to provide financial assistance to 14 young Canadian woman engineers each year, in memory of the 14 victims of December 6, 1989. It will do so thanks to a partnership between Polytechnique, the McCall MacBain Foundation and a circle of benefactors. This initiative, made possible by the generous contribution of the McCall MacBain Foundation, will over time inspire other donors to widen that circle and boost support for emerging women engineers.
While ever-mindful of the essential task of remembering and honouring the legacy of the victims of December 6, Polytechnique is also resolutely focused on the future, advancing initiatives to ensure that women in engineering and future female engineers in Québec and the rest of Canada can take their rightful place. Accordingly, there will eventually be 14 scholarships awarded annually to promote careers in the engineering trades to young women across the country.
MEdia Kit
Photos, profiles, logos, news release: https://polymtl.info/ORB2024
About Polytechnique Montréal
Founded in 1873, Polytechnique Montréal is one of Canada’s largest engineering education and research institutions. It is located on the Université de Montréal campus, the largest French-language university campus in the Americas. With more than 61,500 graduates to date, Polytechnique has educated over 22% of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec’s current membership. Polytechnique offers more than 120 programs taught by over 300 professors, and welcomes in excess of 10,000 students yearly.
NOTES
The archived live stream of the event is available at the following links:
LIENS CONNEXES
- Week of the White Rose video
- Week of the White Rose website
- Order of the White Rose website
- Woman in Engineering website
- December 6 web page
MEDIA INFORMATION AND INTERVIEW REQUESTS
Christian Merciari, Media relations
Polytechnique Montréal
514 742-8586
christian.merciari@polymtl.ca
