Communications + Public Relations Foundation Announces 2009 Lou Cahill Scholarship Winner
Michelle Idzenga is Brock University’s 2009 Lou Cahill Scholarship Winner
Toronto – Michelle Idzenga, St. Catharines, Ontario, is the 2009 winner of the Lou Cahill Scholarship in Communications, awarded by Brock University, St. Catharines. The Scholarship is awarded to a communications student in the final year of study for academic excellence, community involvement and participation in charitable activities.
The Scholarship was established by OEB Enterprise, Toronto, to honour Lou Cahill, the founder of OEB International, Canada’s longest-operating public relations firm and a subsidiary of the Enterprise Canada Group. An icon of the Canadian public relations industry, Lou Cahill died in November 2008 at the age of 94. He held an honorary doctoral degree from Brock.
“We are delighted that Michelle Idzenga has received the Lou Cahill Scholarship in Communications”, said Barbara Fox, OEB Enterprise President and Chief Executive Officer. “Michelle’s tireless commitment to her community and education certainly would have made Lou Cahill proud.”
“Michelle is one of those rare students who exhibits a real desire to make a difference in her community whether it is in the classroom or beyond the university,” said Sharon Broderick, one of her instructors at Brock. “Her focus, energy and dedication contribute to her student legacy.”
A scholarship winner throughout her university studies including the 2007 Anita Skinner Scholarship in Communications, Idzenga was invited in 2009
to serve as a student representative on the Brock Faculty of Social Sciences Faculty Award jury for Excellence in Teaching. As well, she has handled assignments at Brock serving as a teaching assistant providing advice to students concerning course material, marking seminar presentations and exams.
She also acted as a public relations coordinator for the Canadian Media Directors Council 2009 Annual Conference, Toronto, where she managed public relations activities in a virtual environment.
“Michelle was thrown into a high-pressure environment,” said Mark Symka, Cossette Communications. “She co-ordinated speaker arrivals and on-site public relations at the largest media industry conference in Canada, attended by close to 700 executives from media agencies, media and marketing services companies. She handled herself with poise and professionalism throughout the day-long event and played a key role in the meeting’s success.”
In addition, Idzenga has volunteered with the Annual Bluesaganze Festival, St. Catharines, to raise funds for Autism Ontario, and is currently a volunteer with Niagara Powerlifting Club, St. Catharines, where she assists with its annual competitions. Idzenga has also worked as a customer service representative for Royal Bank of Canada branches in St. Catharines and Welland where
she has been involved in assisting clients with their financial needs. She participated in the organization of the bank’s community involvement fundraising initiatives–The Weekend to End Breast Cancer and Welland Food Bank.
The Lou Cahill 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.
Applications for the annual Lou Cahill Scholarship in Communications, valued at $1,250 for eligible graduating students from the Department of Communications, Popular Culture and Film at Brock University, are available from the University’s Student Awards and Financial Aid Office. Scholarship winners have an opportunity to participate in a four-month internship with OEB Enterprise following graduation.
For more information about the Foundation and its public relations educational initiatives, contact Barbara Sheffield, Chair, Communications + Public Relations Foundation, Suite 1515, 73 Widdicombe Hill Blvd., Toronto, Ontario, M9R 4B3, or phone 416 242-6146 or e-mail foundation@prmediaconnection.com.
