Lakeside Academy student Jessica Camps-Cooke awarded Youthvision Scholarship

Jessica Camps-Cooke applied for the scholarship while she was in Grade 10 at Lakeside Academy. She now stands to receive up to $4,000 per year for up to four years of post-secondary education at the Canadian university or college of her choice. She can also participate in paid YMCA summer internships valued at up to $2,000 per year while in high school and up to $4,000 per year while in college or university.

Camps-Cooke is also the winner of the 2008 Ted Medland Achievement Award for attaining the highest academic achievement of this year’s crop of winners. This award was initiated by the late Ted Medland, former Chairman and President of CIBC Wood Gundy.

“Winning this CIBC Scholarship means that I am being recognized for all of my hard work and dedication to my education and volunteering,” said Camps-Cooke of Lachine. “The Youthvision Scholarship means that CIBC is willing to support me with all of my future endeavours. That, in and of itself, is very encouraging.”

“Inspiring young people to dream big is the essence of the CIBC Youthvision Scholarships,” said Michel Cantin, CIBC’s Vice-President of Retail Markets in Québec. “The program also allows young people like Jessica to better concentrate on their academics and strive to reach her goals.”

The CIBC Youthvision Scholarship Program is delivered through a unique partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada and YMCA Canada. Since the program was launched in 1999, 300 scholarships have been awarded to students across Canada, representing a commitment by CIBC of more than $10 million for this program.

“Receiving the scholarship was tremendous,” said David Milsom, of Pointe Claire, QC, who received his Youthvision Scholarship in 2001 and has since graduated with a Bachelor in Engineering, with a specialty in civil engineering from McGill University in Montreal. “The combination of the mentoring, internships and tuition was really helpful in getting me to where I am today. Getting the scholarship allowed me to focus on my studies, without having to worry about tuition fees. It allowed me to devote all my energy to completing this program, which was not an easy one. It would have taken me longer to complete my studies otherwise. The summer internships helped me to save money when not in school and gave me varied work experience, as well.” Milsom is currently working as a junior structural engineer with Hatch in Montreal.

CIBC is committed to supporting causes that matter to our clients, our employees and our communities. We aim to make a difference in communities through corporate donations, sponsorships and the volunteer spirit of employees. With a strategic focus on youth, education and health, and employee commitment to causes including the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure, United Way and the CIBC World Markets Children’s Foundation, we are investing in the social and economic development of communities across the country. In 2007, CIBC group of companies contributed more than $36 million worldwide to charitable organizations and community initiatives. Of this, $27 million was invested in Canada to support national, regional and local organizations. To learn more, visit www.cibc.com