Students and employees bring our campus to life every day; they cross paths and interact to learn, work and offer support, but some moments can leave a truly lasting impression. Meet three employees making an impact through employee giving and the students who’ve received scholarships from the funds they support.
As a Gee-Gees football player, Rashid Timbilla was impossible to stop when he stepped onto the field. Now a student in the Faculty of Law, he maintains the same drive and passion while pursuing his Juris Doctor degree and also advocates for youth issues as a World Economic Forum global shaper.
“Receiving a scholarship has provided me with the opportunity to focus on my studies rather than having to spend tens of thousands of dollars on student loans or ask friends for help. You’ve given me the chance to prosper during my studies,” says Timbilla.
Maryse Glaude-Beaulieu is an alumna and works at the Student Academic Success Service. She ensures that students with disabilities have equal access to course materials and equal educational opportunities. Glaude-Beaulieu also worked full time while completing her master’s degree in education.
“As a former student, I can relate to my peers’ financial struggles. I want to help students meet their needs and pursue their dreams,” says Glaude-Beaulieu.
Charbel Choueifaty is a mechanical and biomedical engineering student and president of uOttawa’s Engineering Students’ Society. Outside of the classroom, he has contributed to numerous engineering and entrepreneurship initiatives, like the Richard L’Abbé Makerspace, the Formula uOttawa team and uOttaHack. Choueifaty has just secured an internship and will be spending the summer at the Meliadine gold development project in Nunavut.
“Being rewarded for my efforts outside of the classroom is very gratifying. I really appreciate the opportunities provided to me by the University through these bursaries and thank the employees infinitely for their generosity,” says Choueifaty.
When Clémence Fauteux-Lefebvre joined the Faculty of Engineering as an assistant professor in 2017, she wasn’t new to campus. Fauteux-Lefebvre completed her undergraduate degree at uOttawa in 2007, and she then went on to complete her PhD in chemical engineering at Université de Sherbrooke. Her research focuses on sustainable catalysis processes, aimed at reducing undesirable products, saving energy and eliminating pollutants.
“Our students contribute actively to our society and will continue to do so for many years to come. It’s a pleasure to be able to help support them in their success both academically and in their other endeavours in a learning environment that helps them succeed,” says Professor Fauteux-Lefebvre.
Katherine Bearne, a physics and mathematics student, helped the women’s Gee-Gees soccer team reach the national championships last fall. When Bearne isn’t on the field, she’s excelling in the classroom. In 2017, she was among the Top 8 Academic All-Canadian recipients and received the Governor General’s Academic All-Canadian Commendation for her exceptional academic standing.
“Having this scholarship has given me the freedom to pursue my dreams. Thanks to donors like to Tsenat, I’ve been able to be successful in the classroom, on the field and in the lab,” says Bearne.
Now an alumnus and Sports Service’s client services manager, Tsenat Hadgu began his uOttawa journey as a human kinetics student in 2001.
“I’ve always wanted to be able to give back to the University in some shape or form. I learned about the Employee Giving program through my colleague Lenny Sabourin, who was the program champion for Sports Services,” says Hadgu.
The goal of the Employee Giving program is to improve the experiences and opportunities of more uOttawa students.
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“I believe that by supporting our students, we help them strive to succeed to the best of their ability, making our campus a more dynamic and welcoming environment for all,” says Jessica Laplante, member of the Protection Services team.