By MEAGAN MORRISSEY
Seven Conestoga College students and one alumnus have received scholarships from the International Facility Management Association Foundation.
The students, all from the architecture — project and facility management program (APFM), and the alumnus member travelled to Phoenix, Ariz. to receive the scholarships, each valued between $1,500 and $5,000.
The IFMA Foundation, based out of Houston, Texas, is a non-profit organization dedicated to expanding educational opportunities, knowledge and research about the growing industry of facility management. It is funded through the generosity of IFMA members, chapters, councils, corporate sponsors, and private contributions.
Each year, the IFMA Foundation awards 30 to 40 scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students in facility management related post-secondary programs around the world.
The bachelor of applied technology in architecture – project and facility management is a four-year applied degree program at Conestoga.
The program, which focuses on project-based learning, is centralized around four co-op semesters which provide students with real-world experience.
The APFM program is one of only nine IFMA accredited post-secondary institutions throughout North America, among the ranks of Brigham Young University, the Pratt Institute, Cornell University, and the Georgia Institute of Technology. Conestoga College is the first and only Canadian school to be recognized by IFMA Foundation to date.
Scholarship winners are selected based on merit. The applicants are graded on their past achievements, leadership skills and involvment in the world of facility management. The application also includes a letter of professional intent, letters of recommendation from co-op employers, a resume and an academic transcript.
Although Conestoga’s APFM students have been winning IFMA Foundation awards since 2005, 2011 marks the first year in which Conestoga has had such wide success with seven students and a combined $20,000 in winnings.
The winners, who are all third and fourth year APFM students, were Yumna Nasir, Meagan Morrissey, Flavia de Martino, Jillian Harvey, Ryan Van Kooten, Alita Jones and Sean McBride. Also recognized was Megan Bos, a Conestoga APFM graduate who is currently attending the University of Calgary where she is studying for her master’s degree in environmental design.
The following are details of the scholarship winners:
n Yumna Nasir received a $5,000 scholarship from The Corporate Facilities Council. Nasir is a third-year student in APFM who is currently the public relations director of IFMA Conestoga Student Chapter (you can follow @IFMAConestoga on Twitter).
She has previously worked for employers such as Johnsonite Canada Inc. (a Tarkett company) and Conestoga College where she worked on the new F-wing for Health and Life Sciences. Currently Nasir is participating in an international exchange with Hanze University, The Netherlands where she is studying in their international facilities management program.
She is a resident of Waterloo.
n Meagan Morrissey is a fourth year student who was awarded a $5,000 scholarship from The Corporate Facilities Council. Morrissey is currently the vice-president of the IFMA Conestoga Student Chapter. She has completed co-op work terms at Seawood Inc. where she worked as a facilities assistant and two terms at Conestoga College where she worked on the new Cambridge campus.
Morrissey is currently working on her final co-op at Maple Reinders Constructors Ltd., where she is working as an assistant project co-ordinator. She is currently a resident of Waterloo.
n APFM alumnus Megan Bos is currently a candidate for a master’s degree in environmental design at the University of Calgary. She received a $5,000 scholarship from The Corporate Facilities Council. In addition to her studies Bos has completed numerous co-op work terms and has assisted as an external thesis adviser for APFM students.
n Flavia de Martino won the Greater Philadelphia Chapter of IFMA Scholarship in the amount of $4,000. She is a fourth year APFM student and is currently the president of the IFMA Conestoga student chapter. De Martino has completed co-op terms with Research in Motion; Public Works and Government Services; and the City of Brampton.
She is a resident of Cambridge.
n Jillian Harvey, a Beachville, Ont. resident, is a third-year student who won the Capital IFMA Chapter IFMA scholarship, valued at $1,500. Harvey is the current director of projects for the IFMA Conestoga student chapter. She has completed co-op terms at the City of Woodstock Building Department and Suncor Energy Short Range Facilities Department in Fort McMurray, Alta. She will return to Suncor this winter for her third year co-op term.
n Ryan Van Kooten, of Ingersoll, is a third-year student in APFM who won the Public Sector IFMA Foundation scholarship, valued at $1,500.
He has completed co-op work terms with the Town of Ingersoll’s engineering department and Toronto Rehabilitation Institute’s capital planning department. Van Kooten will return to Toronto Rehab for his third year co-op work term this January.
n Alita Jones is a third-year student in APFM who has been awarded a $1,500 scholarship from Canadian Chapters of IFMA Award. She has completed co-op work terms with Traugott Building Contractors and Enermodal Engineering.
In addition to her studies Jones has also been involved with the IFMA Conestoga Student Chapter, has completed her LEED Accredited Professional certification and is actively involved with CaGBC (Canadian Green Building Council).
n Sean McBride is a fourth year student and was awarded a $1,500 award from the Greater Louisville Area chapter of IFMA.
McBride bridged into the APFM program last year and is the sponsorship director on the IFMA Conestoga student chapter. McBride has completed both of his work terms at St. Mary’s General Hospital in the engineering and biomedical services department, and has since permanently relocated to Waterloo from Newmarket.
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