The Schulich School of Business at York University has always been an equal opportunity university. To continue to promote women in business, the student association Women in Leadership (WIL) recently donated $4,000 to create the Women in Leadership Student Award.
The new scholarship recognizes academic excellence for both female undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at the Schulich School. The award is given every alternating year to a deserving female undergraduate and graduate student. The goal is to alleviate some of the tuition burden for female students who demonstrate significant financial hardship and to empower female students to take leadership roles at the university, in the workplace and beyond.
Caitlyn Bertone, BBA ’16, and Alexandra Artamonova, IMBA ’16, spearheaded the new award. They spoke about their reasoning in a news release for the university. “We were motivated to establish this award because we, as students, recognize how much Schulich has impacted our own lives,” they said. “We see the opportunities that are available at our school and how, when utilized to its fullest extent, these opportunities allow students to flourish into influential leaders that truly do extraordinary things upon graduating.”
Women in Leadership just celebrated its 12th anniversary of inspiring female leadership. At the 12th annual conference in March, entitled “Inspire to Aspire,” Schulich Associate Dean of Students Marcia Annisette spoke about the importance of the new award. She said that she believed that it would have a powerful impact on the recipient’s success at Schulich.
The Women in Leadership club serves both undergraduate and graduate students at Schulich. Its focus is to provide a series of professional and educational events to enhance the understanding and appreciation of women’s role in business. WIL welcomes business students, alumni and businesswomen into their network.