POLYTECHNIQUE MONTRÉAL
Polytechnique Montréal announces the recipient of the 10th Order of the White Rose scholarship, Makenna Kuzyk, who receives a $50,000 award

At a ceremony held on December 2, Polytechnique Montréal presented the tenth Order of the White Rose bursary to Makenna Kuzyk, a mechanical engineering graduate from the University of Alberta. The prestigious $50,000 scholarship, created by Polytechnique in 2014 to honour the memory of the 14 women murdered on its campus on December 6, 1989, and to keep alive their ambitions, is presented each year to a Canadian woman engineering student who wishes to pursue graduate studies (master's or doctoral) at the institution of her choice, in Canada or elsewhere. The primary goal is to promote female role models in engineering and science across the country.

Nathalie Provost, survivor of the 1989 shooting and patron of the Order of the White Rose, and Makenna Kuzyk, tenth recipient of the Order of the White Rose (Photo: Annie Diotte for Polytechnique Montréal)

"The past recipients of the Order of the White Rose are all young women driven by extraordinary passion, which makes them exceptional citizens," said Maud Cohen, President, Polytechnique Montréal. "Makenna Kuzyk has that same passion. It has the power to change the world, and so it must be encouraged to the greatest extent possible. Makenna is a pioneer, and we are all extremely proud to help her take the next steps in her impressive and promising academic journey. I have no doubt that her career will be nothing less than stellar, and this honour bestowed on her today is fully deserved."

"Today, we remember the 14 women in engineering whose lives were taken in 1989, and we find strength in the trail that they blazed for future generations," Ms. Kuzyk said. "In my case, that trail leads to the stars. Our space program is an incredible, powerful mission that aims to expand the frontiers of discovery for the betterment of life on Earth. Not only that, but the secrets of the skies cannot be unlocked by any one person, and I want to be part of the team promoting co-operation between the countries exploring space together. This vision isn't just about pushing back the frontiers of space travel; it's also about building a better future that honours the people who came before us, and about sustaining our planet and its inhabitants to come."

Reaching for the sky and beyond

Makenna Kuzyk is the first woman and just the second civilian to have been admitted to the International Test Pilots School Master of Science in Flight Test Engineering program. Her aim is to conduct research on the impacts of living in microgravity. As she continues in her five-star university career, Ms. Kuzyk hopes to help boost the visibility of women in the aerospace industry, encouraging more of them to pursue careers in that field. A recipient of the Brooke Owens Fellowship, a prestigious international award for women in the industry, she is keenly aware of the underrepresentation of women in certain fields, including aerospace. The only woman in her aerodynamics course at the University of Alberta, she founded Mission SpaceWalker, a student club dedicated to advancing space research and that is 100% female.

"I wanted young girls to know that their dream of flying to space need not remain simply a dream: that it can become a reality," said Ms. Kuzyk, who today is also a mentor with Zenith Pathways, which awards a fellowship that pairs students with Canadian aerospace companies to complete internships, an accolade she received herself two years ago.

For Ms. Kuzyk, who recently obtained her pilot's licence, Mission SpaceWalker is very much a launching pad that, thanks to her team's many technological achievements, is propelling her toward a career in space science. Her quest has even taken her to the United Nations, where she contributed to efforts to attract more women to the male-dominated astronaut field, in which women's representation is barely 11%. Makenna Kuzyk may have her eyes constantly focused on the sky, but she keeps both feet planted on the ground, taking inspiration from the values of resilience instilled in her by her mother, who immigrated from Vietnam.

Outstanding women who will be the leaders of tomorrow

The white rose has become the symbol for Polytechnique Montréal's commemorations of the tragic events of December 6, 1989, during which 14 women lost their lives and many other people were injured. Created in 2014, the Order of the White Rose pays tribute to those killed and wounded as well as to family members, faculty, staff and students who were caught up in this tragedy that had a profound impact on Québec and all of Canada.

Nathalie Provost, who was injured on December 6, 1989, and Michèle Thibodeau-DeGuire, who in 1963 was the first woman to graduate from Polytechnique Montréal in civil engineering, are the scholarship's "godmothers." Michèle Prévost, a full professor at Polytechnique and a member of the university's Board of Directors, was the chair of this year's Order of the White Rose jury.

The jury, established by Polytechnique, comprised the deans of engineering of Dalhousie, McGill and Queen's universities, Université de Sherbrooke, the University of Toronto and the University of Waterloo. Applications for the Order of the White Rose scholarship are assessed based on the candidate's academic record, technical achievements and engagement toward the greater good.

"The Order of the White Rose is the custodian of our collective memory of the femicide of December 6, 1989, and through the scholarship and its recipients, we keep the flame of remembrance burning for these extraordinary women who were my classmates and, sadly, are no longer with us," said Ms. Provost.

Ms. Thibodeau-DeGuire added: "All of the young women who are candidates for our Order of the White Rose scholarship every year are exceptional. They are our leaders of tomorrow, future agents of change and transformation for our society, sources of inspiration and pride for all of us in short, proof that our common future is in good hands."

For her part, Professor Prévost noted: "Year after year, the women who apply for the Order of the White Rose are all truly outstanding, and I am always impressed by their journeys. They are among the very best at their respective universities, and without a doubt will be leaders in the future. I am sure that through their passion and unwavering commitment, each of them will help make the world a better place."

Makenna Kuzyk is the tenth recipient of the Order of the White Rose scholarship awarded by Polytechnique Montréal. "I want to be part of the team that fosters cooperation and friendship between countries exploring space together." Today the outstanding student was awarded the $50,000 Order of the White Rose Scholarship. Photography by: Annie Diotte for Polytechnique Montréal.

The Order of the White Rose scholarship: a vital role that will soon grow

Thirty-five years after the mass femicide on its campus, and on the occasion of the 10th awarding of the Order of the White Rose scholarship, Polytechnique Montréal is looking to the future and now plans to provide financial assistance to 14 young Canadian woman engineers each year, in memory of the 14 victims of December 6, 1989. It will do so thanks to a partnership between Polytechnique, the McCall MacBain Foundation and a circle of benefactors. This initiative, made possible by the generous contribution of the McCall MacBain Foundation, will over time inspire other donors to widen that circle and boost support for emerging women engineers.

While ever-mindful of the essential task of remembering and honouring the legacy of the victims of December 6, Polytechnique is also resolutely focused on the future, advancing initiatives to ensure that women in engineering and future female engineers in Québec and the rest of Canada can take their rightful place. Accordingly, there will eventually be 14 scholarships awarded annually to promote careers in the engineering trades to young women across the country.