Scholarship recipient announced
The Canada Safety Council is very pleased to announce Ellie Donohue-Miller of St. Catharines, ON, as the 2014 recipient of the Sarah Beth Therien Memorial Scholarship.
The $2,500 award recognizes Ellie’s exceptional leadership in safety-oriented efforts. She founded a Student Sexual Violence Support Centre at Brock University, where she studied women’s and gender studies. Ellie established and delivered public education campaigns geared toward violence prevention and healthy relationships.
Her efforts also provided support services for sexual violence victims and were innovative on numerous fronts, including a first-of-its-kind-in-Canada 24-hour texting crisis line for sexual assault survivors. Ellie’s dedication to the cause is also visible through initiatives including peer support groups, a drop-in program, a support group at a downtown St. Catharines bar and plenty of continued guidance for vulnerable individuals.
Ellie has begun using the momentum offered by the Centre’s success to branch out and support off-shoot projects to help disabled students and youth-based mental health issues as well.
Between her work with the Support Centre and her straight-A average at Brock University, Ellie still has the time to volunteer as a crisis line counselor, court supporter and public educator at other sexual assault support centres as well as serve as a director for the Ontario Public Interest Research Group at Brock.
Ellie will be studying Social Work at Dalhousie University next year.
“Young Canadians like Ellie are vital to the future safety of this country, and we are very proud to be able to support someone who is so committed to improving the lives of those in her community,” said Jack Smith, president of the CSC.
The scholarship honours the memory of Sarah Beth Therien, a long-time employee of the Canada Safety Council and a passionate advocate for child and traffic safety. Sarah made medical history in 2006 as the first Canadian organ donor after cardiac death. Her medical legacy has gone on to save hundreds of lives so far, a number that continues to grow week after week.
The award is also intended to raise the profile of safety in the minds of young Canadians.
The CSC wishes to sincerely thank all those who applied to the scholarship competition.
Our goal is to award the scholarship annually. If you are interested in donating to support the Canada Safety Council with this initiative, please contact our office at (613) 739-1535 ext. 221.
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For more information, please contact:
Lewis Smith
Communications/Media Program Coordinator, Canada Safety Council
(613) 739-1535 (ext. 228)