2020 ATHENA Award Recipients Announced

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From left to right: Loretta Stoyka (ATHENA Scholarship Luncheon Committee – ASLC), ATHENA recipients Celina DeBiasio, Sierra Scott- Kilgo and Paige Coyne, and Lee Anne Doyle and Sue Zanin both of the ASLC (Photos courtesy ATHENA).

The ATHENA Scholarship Fund and the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce have announced the recipients of the 2020 ATHENA awards.

The awards, normally held during a luncheon, were announced virtually this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the luncheon will instead take place on Thursday, November 18, 2021 at St. Clair College Centre for the Arts.

As explained by the ATHENA website: “The ATHENA Scholarship Fund Windsor identifies and provides scholarships to post-secondary students who excel academically, exhibit extensive community involvement and serve as outstanding leaders, while also assisting girls and women to achieve a better quality of life and reach their full potential as leaders. The ATHENA Scholarship Program is supported by generous donations from private citizens, corporations, professions, academic institutions and community organizations.”

Selection criteria for ATHENA Scholarship Program includes academic excellence; enhancement of the quality of life in the community; mentoring others; leadership and team building; and diversity.

The scholarships are valued at $5,000 each and new this year is an additional $5,000 scholarship in honour of Loretta Stoyka, President of the ATHENA Scholarship Fund for a student of the Faculty of Law, University of Windsor.

Here are the 2020 recipients:

Tara Chan has maintained a solid academic record while passionately helping others in the community in various leadership and mentorship roles. In 2014, she graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Arts Degree. This year, she completed her combined Law (JD) and MBA degree at the Faculty of Law, University of Windsor. Tara’s mentorship activities include her involvement in the peer-mentorship program at the University of Windsor Law School.   Her community involvement includes volunteering as a litigator with Community Legal Aid and as a deputy divisional superintendent with St. John Ambulance. Tara intends to pursue a career as an employment lawyer.  She is committed to serving her community while representing the values of ATHENA that reflect gender and visible minorities.

Paige Coyne excels academically while serving as a student leader and mentor. She received her Bachelor of Human Kinetics (Honours) in 2017 and her Master of Human Kinetics in 2019 from the University of Windsor. She is currently a PhD candidate in kinesiology at the University of Windsor. Her passion to make a difference in the lives of women includes her as a Board Member of Leadership Advancement for Women in Sport (LAWS) at the University of Windsor. She also contributes to improving the confidence and self-image of female students with her involvement in Girls in Motion event, Healthy Kids Community Challenge and Windsor’s Fitspirit Celebration. Paige aspires to become a college/university professor and focus on community based projects research.

Celina DeBiasio, has maintained academic excellence as an advocate for women’s health. She graduated from the University of Windsor in 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences (Honours Biochemistry with Great Distinction). Celina recently completed her second year in the Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) program at the University of Ottawa. Her leadership and community involvement include her role as co-founder and co-leader of the Ottawa Chapter of the Student-Senior Isolation Prevention Partnership to reduce social isolation of Ottawa seniors. Celina is a student mentor and student leader of the Vertical Mentorship Group at the University of Ottawa. Her commitment to diversity includes membership in the Indigenous Health Interest Group and Women’s Health Interest Group in Ottawa. Celina is looking forward to a career as a health care provider and making a positive impact on her community.

Sierra Scott-Kilgo combines outstanding academic excellence with a passion for creating positive change in her community and helping women overcome barriers. She recently obtained her Diploma of Business Administration-Finance at St. Clair College, Windsor. Sierra is the 2019/2020 President of Enactus St. Clair College whose mission is to solve community issues through social entrepreneurship. Sierra is also an active member of the Women of Windsor Mentorship Collaborative and current intern executive director promoting diversity through mentorship. She was awarded the 2020 HSBC Women Entrepreneurial Leader of the Year Award. Sierra would like to pursue a career in marketing and branding. Sierra exemplifies the ATHENA Leadership Model as a passionate advocate for women and community outreach.

The ATHENA Scholarship Program is sponsored by the University of Windsor, St.Clair College, WFCU Credit Union, Loris Macor, Anne Winterbottom, Empire Communications, Matthew Stoyka, Rotary Club of Windsor-Roseland, Rotary Club of Windsor-St. Clair, Rotary Club of Windsor (1918), Roth Mosey, and Generator Design.

From left to right: ATHENA Scholar Tara Chan and ATHENA Scholarship Luncheon Committee Members, Sue Zanin (in back), Loretta Stoyka (forefront) and Lee Anne Doyle.

With files from Anna Millerman.