Air Canada in partnership with Canadian Aviation Electronics (CAE) have announced the recipients of the 2023 Captain Judy Cameron Scholarship on 08MAR, International Women's Day.
The scholarship provides financial assistance for Canadian women studying to become commercial pilots or aircraft maintenance engineers. This year, the two Montreal-based global aviation companies have joined forces to double the number of recipients, awarding scholarships to eight young women from across Canada. CAE's four recipients will become Air Canada Ambassadors as well as receive a CAD $5,000 scholarship.
The Captain Judy Cameron Scholarship was established in honour of Air Canada's first female pilot to help foster the next generation of women following in her footsteps. It's awarded annually in conjunction with the Northern Lights Aero Foundation.
"On International Women's Day, being able to provide support to these incredibly talented and driven young women through the Captain Judy Cameron Scholarship firmly demonstrates Air Canada and CAE's work fostering the next generation of women in their pursuit of careers in this industry," said Arielle Meloul-Wechsler, Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer and Public Affairs at Air Canada.
The eight recipients are all from different backgrounds. "Diversity equity and inclusion are core values at CAE. Currently, only five percent of commercial pilots are women, and our newest Women in Flight Ambassadors will join six others to help spread the word about this exciting profession and serve as role models to young women who aspire to a career at the controls of a commercial airliner," said Nick Leontidis, CAE's Group President, Civil Aviation.
Air Canada winners of the Captain Judy Cameron Scholarship are:
- Amanda Tosto, Surrey, British Columbia
- Hélène Trudeau, Beausejour, Manitoba
- Charlotte Thorley, Grimsby, Ontario
- Chanelle Wilson, Coldstream, British Columbia
CAE Women in Flight ambassadors:
- Meera Bissonauth, Mississauga, Ontario
- Mia Cochran, North Bay, Ontario
- Jaime Hanson, Rocky Mountain House, Alberta
- Kyra Jarvis, Kingston, Nova Scotia
"Each recipient has shown great determination in their training, and the willingness to encourage and inspire others in their aviation journey. As the scholarship goes into its fourth year, it is wonderful to hear the success stories of former recipients. Two women are flying as First Officers, another is a fire patrol pilot, and two more are flight instructors. Thank you to Air Canada and CAE for helping to make their dreams a reality," said Judy Cameron, Boeing 777 Captain at Air Canada (retired), and Director of the Northern Lights Aero Foundation.
More information on each of this year's winners is presented in this video:
