The Ontario Energy Network is pleased to announce the winners of our 2021 scholarships. Our recipients are all outstanding young people, with many impressive accomplishments and promising futures in the energy sector. The OEN Women in Energy Scholarship recipient is Brooke Bidyk, a University of Western Ontario Mechanical Engineering student. The OEN Indigenous Energy Scholarship winner is Cassandra Carey, studying Business-HR at Niagara College. Mackenzie Moring, winner of the OEN Sustainable Development Scholarship, sponsored by Alectra, is an Engineering Physics Electrical student at Queen’s University. The first winner of the new OEN-Bruce Power Nuclear Studies Scholarship is Zoe Michanos, a Nuclear Engineering student at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology. All four of our scholarship recipients have been invited to a future OEN networking event, where we hope to publicly recognize them for their achievements.
Brooke Bidyk – 2021 OEN Women in Energy Scholarship
The 2021 OEN Women in Energy Scholarship has been awarded to Brooke Bidyk, a Fourth Year Mechanical Engineering student at the University of Western Ontario. Brooke has recently been working as a Project Controls Intern with Kinectrics at Bruce Power. She has been part of the Sunstang Solar Car Project at Western University, where she was Structures Lead, as well as being involved in hosting the Canadian Association for Girls in Science (CAGIS), a group that built a miniature solar car. Brooke has also volunteered with the “Go Eng Girl Letter Initiative,” led by Engineers Without Borders, a program to encourage and inspire girls to study STEM. Brooke will graduate in the spring of 2022, and as an EIT would like to pursue a career in generation and transmission. Her longer-term goal is to help energy systems become “cleaner and greener.”
Cassandra Carey – 2021 OEN Indigenous Energy Scholarship
Our 2021 OEN Indigenous Energy Scholarship winner is Cassandra Carey, a Third Year Business-Human Resources student at Niagara College. Cassandra dances within her indigenous culture and has been a volunteer at Fort Erie Native Centre during Pow Wows, food drives, and other events. She was raised speaking her native tongue and enjoys speaking the language. Cassandra volunteers with Homeward Bound, a program supporting low-income single mothers attending school. She also delivers Good Food boxes to other mothers, driving them to appointments and providing emotional support. Cassandra says she is interested in innovation and sustainability, and would like to work in Human Resources for an energy company.
Mackenzie Moring – 2021 OEN Sustainable Development Scholarship
Sponsored by Alectra, our 2021 Sustainable Development Scholarship winner is Mackenzie Moring, a second year Engineering Physics Electrical student at Queen’s University. Mackenzie has been a volunteer in her community and Group Leader in her Engineering Design courses. She is interested in development of renewable sources of energy, with a particular interest in hydroelectric power. Mackenzie hopes to add an additional year to her studies as an intern with an Ontario electricity company. An avid scuba diver, Mackenzie says she wants to work with hydroelectric generation to align her career with maintaining the health of the world’s oceans, water systems, and ecosystems while producing green energy for Ontarians.
Zoe Michanos – 2021 OEN-Bruce Power Nuclear Studies Scholarship
The first winner of our new OEN-Bruce Power Nuclear Studies Scholarship is Zoe Michanos, a Third Year Nuclear Engineering student at University of Ontario Institute of Technology. Zoe has worked as a Co-Op Student at Bruce Power. Zoe has volunteered to tutor high school students and at an annual MS Charity Event. At school, Zoe has been a volunteer note taker with Student Accessibility Services and volunteer at the Future Cities Competition. Zoe first became interested in nuclear generation through her father, who has been a steamfitter/pipefitter at several nuclear stations. She hopes to work as an engineer at a nuclear generating station and to attain both P.Eng. and PMP (Project Management) designations.