My name is Ashley Chan, and I am incredibly grateful to be one of the recipients of the COPA scholarship. I am currently studying in the Specialized Honours Kinesiology & Health Science program at York University. Throughout high school I was on the athletic council where I planned and executed many school-run events, and also promoted physical activity and wellness on the school’s social media. In my second last year of high school, I was given the opportunity to participate in a co-operative placement at a sports medicine and rehabilitation health centre. This was where I gained my interest in rehabilitation and it was an important learning experience for me. Outside of school, I am involved in swimming and I also tutor others in elementary school and high school. While tutoring, I find it fulfilling to walk through the process of learning and finally understanding a concept with a student. I am looking forward to applying this towards my future aspirations to become a physiotherapist, where I can be involved with individuals’ rehabilitation processes and restore physical function and mobility. In addition, I have been a swimmer for the majority of my life, so understanding the process behind the movement of certain parts of your body has always been an interest for me. I would like to thank COPA again for helping me further my post-secondary education and achieve my future ambitions.

My name is Konstadinos Ekonomakos and I am currently enrolled in the Bachelor of Commerce program, specializing in accounting at York University. I am incredibly grateful and honoured to be the recipient of the COPA scholarship award. Throughout high school, I maintained a 96% average and was deemed valedictorian in my final year. During my high school years, I focused on uplifting my peers academically and I was often known as the “math tutor” by my fellow classmates. Building on this I was involved in many clubs and teams where I orchestrated many social events during the post-pandemic and brought glory to my school in sports. I often utilize my time mentoring children through my local church, teaching them the skills that I have acquired along my journey. My current goal is to become a Chartered Professional Accountant and I am very excited about the upcoming university year and all that it entails. I am deeply appreciative of being the recipient of this year’s COPA scholarships and thank all of those who aided me along the way!

My name is Nita Seidler, and I am a recent graduate of David Thompson Secondary School. At my school I was a part of a leadership program called the New Faces Leaders (NFL) which focuses on assisting grade eight student’s transition into their first year of high school. In my grade 12 year I was chosen to be a part of the NFL Executive Team as one of the leaders in charge of communications – a role which came with much more responsibility, but also many learning opportunities. Outside of school, I have been a part of many different volunteer initiatives, such as The Learning Buddies Network. The Learning Buddies Network is an organization that focuses on helping elementary school students who need assistance with math or reading. I accumulated over 30 volunteer hours mentoring students, which was a very rewarding experience as I could see the positive impact it had in their lives. Currently, my short-term plan for post-secondary is to attend Douglas College to obtain an Associate of Arts degree. I am passionate about the Humanities and Social Sciences, so I have enrolled in a specialty program focused on International and Intercultural Studies. After obtaining my associate of Arts degree at Douglas College my plan is to transfer to a larger post-secondary institution, such as SFU or UBC, to finish my Bachelor of Arts degree. Beyond that my dream is to go to law school and become a lawyer, hopefully practising criminal law.

I’m Max Mlynarczyk, a 19 year old student at the Lazaridis School of Business. I recently joined the Laurier Accounting Association as a Director of Marketing, where I help run our social media accounts, create pictures and design various other items for the club . I enjoy playing guitar and making music with my friends in my free time. I also own a YouTube channel where I post guitar tutorials as well as covers for songs.

A lifelong learner and passionate creator from Ontario. As an 18-year-old student, I have an insatiable habit of figuring things out. A ruthless researcher, passionate tinkerer, enthusiastic DIYer. I’m excited by understanding and infinitely curious about everything.

I took everything I could get my hands on throughout high school, mathematics, sciences, athletics, history, French. I loved it. Yet, most of my skills come from outside of school. In my opinion that’s what defines me. I have an innate passion for real-world problem solving from which I’ve learned how to learn. My never-ending list of projects are a celebration of that passion. When my old computer got slow, I custom-built my new one. When I needed a faster way to school – I wired motors on my now electric longboard. I taught myself over 8 programming languages, and now I’m earning for school as a software engineer. Yet, what’s meant the most to me is sharing it all with my friends and making new ones with like-minded people.

This is why I’m attending Queen’s University for electrical and computer engineering (ECEi) this September (2021). I’ve been an engineer at heart my entire life, and I’m thrilled to continue making an even greater impact for myself and other people. I’m excited to further explore my passion for electronics, robotics, and most of all, artificial intelligence. I hope to pursue research opportunities, participate and lead extracurriculars, and I can’t wait to experience it all with like-minded people along the way.

Hi everyone, my name is Caroline Sun. I am deeply honored to be one of the 2021 recipients of the COPA scholarship.

I currently study at Marianopolis College, in the program of Honours Social Science. In recent years, I have developed a love for reading and writing about current global events, which explains why one of my favorite subjects is sociology. From the start of Cégep, I joined a student-run newspaper club in charge of reporting both global and school events. I now am the editor of the Arts and Culture column of the newspaper. I am also taking the lead of a book club, called Unheard Voices. The club encourages its members to read books that depict an unheard story or the other side of a well-known narrative. Outside of school, I believe in the importance and the joy of community service. Volunteering is one of many ways for people to contribute to a cause they care for. For example, I recently volunteered at a community organization that supports newly arrived immigrants to ensure they integrate smoothly into the Canadian society and that their employment search is successful. This topic relates to me because I am a second-generation immigrant, and I witnessed the hardships my parents have gone through to sustain our family. I hope to have helped newly immigrated people in Montreal find their grounds more easily with my contribution.

Finally, thank you to the COPA scholarship fund organization, I am certain that this award will help me with my future and ambitions.

My name is Angelica DiGiacinto and I am 18 years old from Stoney Creek, Ontario. I am so incredibly grateful to COPA for giving me this scholarship. I am currently enrolled at The University of Guelph in the Bachelor of Arts and Science program. I am pursuing my studies in Neuroscience and Psychology. Throughout high school I maintained a 94% overall average and was a part of many clubs and committees. Before the pandemic I was granted the opportunity to be a part of a mission’s trip to the Dominican Republic with my schools DREAMS team. We were able to paint two houses, build a house and restore an agriculture field for the small community of La Colonia. But more importantly, we touched the hearts of many children as they did us. This was a lifechanging experience and I’m forever grateful to be a part of such an amazing team. In addition, for my passion to help others I volunteered at The Ron Joyce Children’s Centre a part of the Hamilton Health Sciences in the Audiology Department and was able to work alongside the incredible staff in the department. Through my volunteer work I also helped at the Ron Joyce Super Crawl where patients from the centre were given a night of fun activities and entertainment. Without this opportunity in the Hamilton Health Sciences, I never would have realized I wanted to pursue a career in the medical field specializing in working with children and being able to help them in any way I can. I would like to thank COPA again for giving me the extra financial assistance I need to complete my goals.

My name is Javed Dungersi and I am a first-year student at the Schulich School of Business at York University where I am pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree. I am honoured to be a recipient of the COPA scholarship and would like to begin by thanking the many individuals who have allowed for this to be possible. Business, and more specifically finance, has been one of my biggest interests from a young age. When I was 12 years old, I began playing a virtual simulator which tracked stock market performance using real market data. This was the start of my fascination with business. Another one of my passions is technology, an industry where you must be a leader to remain relevant. My goal is to combine my interests in business and technology by working for a fintech company where technology is the driver behind innovation in business. Throughout my secondary education, I was involved in many clubs and activities including the Social Justice Council, the Robotics Team, and the Tutoring Committee, as well as business competitions. I am also involved in various volunteer activities in my greater community, and I plan to continue giving back to the community. Thank you once again to all those involved in allowing me to be a recipient of the COPA scholarship.

My name is Emma King, and I am beginning my first year of studies at Dalhousie University. I am working towards my Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Microbiology and Immunology. This past year, in my last year of high school, I was given the amazing chance to do co-operative study hours in the South Shore Regional Hospital’s Lab. This was where I discovered my interest in blood and disease. Without that opportunity I may not have decided to pursue research as a career, so I am forever grateful for the Lab Techs that helped me during my time there, and for the Co-op program at my high school. I hope to one day become a researcher working with blood, pathogens and disease. In the future, I aspire to do important research and be able to help as many people as I can. I would like to thank COPA for this opportunity, and also my parents for always encouraging me to be the best I can be.

Alex Fullerton is very thankful to the Canadian Office Product Association for being chosen as one of the recipients for the COPA Scholarship award. Alex is an 18 year old student from Cambridge, Ontario. He is a recent graduate from Galt Collegiate Institute (GCI) where he scored a 94% average. He will be studying at Queen’s University in Kingston this fall in the Engineering program.

While at GCI Alex was part of many different clubs and organizations. Alex was the President of the GCI DECA team in his senior year. DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) is an association of marketing students that encourages the development of business and leadership skills through academic conferences and competitions. Through a series of competitions, students make board room presentations on various business topics to professional adjudicators. As a 4 year member of the GCI team, Alex advanced to DECA Internationals in Nashville (2016) and Atlanta (2018) as a representative of the Team Ontario delegation.
In 2016, Alex was a GCI school delegate at the Canadian Student Leadership Conference in Waterloo. This organization brings together over 1000 student leaders from across Canada for a week of keynote speakers, workshops, cultural experiences and community service.

In 2017, he was a delegate for the Forum for Young Canadians in Ottawa, a week-long venture where young students learn about government and the political process of our nation. In grade 11, Alex won the GCI Waterloo District Math competition. In grades 11 and 12, Alex was a member of the GCI “Mock Trial” team, where his school won back-to-back Waterloo District Championships.

In his spare time, Alex likes to play his guitar and hang out with his friends. He is looking forward to heading off to Queen’s and starting the next phase of his life and is grateful for the support offered by COPA.

My name is Marta Kanne and I am from Toronto, Ontario. I am very excited to be beginning my post-secondary education at McGill University in Montreal this September. I am enrolled in the Life Sciences program and plan to major in Biochemistry in my second year. I have always had a passion for helping others and I wish to develop and research cures for diseases. I have always been interested in various branches of science, especially environmental science and biology. This has been reflected in my various extracurricular activities. In high school, I was part of the Eco Club, where we developed different environmental initiatives to help the school become more eco-friendly. I was also a member of the HOSA Health Science team and participated in the annual HOSA competition. Additionally, I volunteered with the blood drive and stem cell drive initiatives at school. Besides science, my biggest hobby is playing music. I played baritone saxophone in my high school’s concert band and I play the bass guitar for fun with my own band. Finally, I would like to thank COPA for this generous scholarship. COPA’s financial assistance will help me achieve my academic goals and further my post-secondary education.

My name is Jasmin Malhi and I will be enrolling in first year studies this fall. To begin, I am very honoured to be a recipient of a 2018 COPA Scholarship, and am thankful for all the support from my manager, my family as well as the opportunity provided by COPA. This upcoming school year, I will be starting my studies at the University of British Columbia and working towards a Bachelors in Science Degree. I have always been interested in Life Sciences and would like to Major in Biology. My long term career goal is to work in the medical field and provide healthcare to all those in need, and perhaps someday travel to various countries and volunteer as a health care practitioner. Throughout high school, I have had some wonderful opportunities to expose myself to the healthcare field such as volunteering at the Eagle Ridge Hospital Manor and Acute units, as well as volunteering and learning from our family doctor. These experiences have allowed me to become more knowledge and have a greater appreciation for the field and career. Being grateful for this opportunity and scholarship, I would like to once again thank COPA for providing me with the support to pursue my post secondary studies and long term goals.

My name is Matthew Baun, an 18 year old from Toronto, Ontario. I graduated from Agincourt Collegiate Institute and will begin my post-secondary education at the University of Waterloo in the fall of 2018.

I have participated in many clubs and programs throughout my high school career. I was involved in my schools ultimate frisbee club, curling and cross country team. I also enjoy breakdancing in my free time and volunteered to teach dance to middle school students. Furthermore, I participated in a local Junior Achievement program, where a handful of students came together to create our own small business.

When it comes to my academics, my passion lies in science. I excel in many science and mathematics courses and enjoy every minute of them. This passion is what drove me to choose a career in the engineering field.

As a COPA scholarship recipient, I will be undertaking Waterloo’s Chemical Engineering Co-op program. For the next 5 years, I will be studying to get my Bachelor of Applied Science to develop my career as an engineer. I hope to one day make a difference in the world and, through science, solve many problems we have in society.

I would like to show my deepest gratitude to the COPA Scholarship Fund for their support on my educational journey, giving me the opportunity to achieve future success.

My name is Lauren Stepien and I live in St Catharines ON. I’m incredibly grateful to be a recipient of a 2018 COPA Scholarship. This fall I am extremely excited to be entering Brock University to be studying Neuroscience in a co-op program, this will allow me to work towards achieving a Bachelor of Science degree. I chose to study the psychology stream that this program offers because of my interest in a possible career in psychiatry or brain research in the future. During my four years in secondary school I developed a strong interest in studying all aspects of brain disease and trauma. I plan to let my passion for learning guide me to a career where I get the opportunity to explore how different disease or mental illnesses change the way that the brain processes information. I have always been very intrigued by the science side of disease, This passion has led me to volunteering for the local Terry Fox Run for Cancer Research for the past four years. The foundation has contributed funds to Brock’s research lab which is somewhere I would hope to get a chance to work in throughout my studies there. I would like to give a heartfelt thank you to the COPA Scholarship Fund and all of its contributors for choosing me as a recipient. This 2018 scholarship will be aiding me in reaching my post-secondary goals and allowing me to explore my passion for science and all aspects of the human brain.

My name is Alex Tremblay and I am from Beauce, Quebec. I’m 17 and I’m registered in the Computer Technology Program at Cégep Beauce-Appalaches. Computer Science has always occupied an important place in my life. Around the age of 13, I was introduced to programming and computer science quickly took a great place in my life. My passion really arose last year, when I set up my own computer from scratch, based on my own preferences. From that moment, I had the opportunity to fulfill various contracts for clients. In addition, having grown up in a family of entrepreneurs, it didn’t take much for me to combine computer science and entrepreneurship! My goal is to complete my three-year college program and then continue my studies with a Bachelor of computer science degree. That way, I’d be quite prepared to become an entrepreneur. I would sincerely want to thank the COPA for this scholarship, its member paper companies and all donors. Thanks to this scholarship, as I start my program, I feel supported and encouraged in my path. This scholarship will be particularly useful for the purchase of computer equipment required for my training. I also wish to thank my current employer, DEBB, for informing me of this scholarship. For almost two years, my path within the company has given me the experience in customer service which will be very beneficial in my future endeavours.

Alex Tremblay,
DEBB Inc.
(Member of Novexco)