Matthew Simioni has always admired Suncor Energy for its devotion to social and environmental sustainability causes. That’s why he was honoured to be one of four Ivey students to receive a $5,000 scholarship from Suncor through the Suncor Energy Emerging Leader Awards (SEELA) and wants to one day pay it forward.
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“I hope to one day use the leadership and business skills I develop at Ivey to lead organizations that are committed to giving back to the local, national and global community,” he said.
SEELAs are given annually to students entering the HBA program at Ivey who demonstrate leadership, academic achievement and interest in the energy sector.
Deborah Gullaher, Vice-President Marketing with Suncor Energy, presented the awards to Simoni, as well as HBA students Sam Cui, Amy Wang and Nicholas Zeeb, at a ceremony in Toronto on January 28. The Suncor Energy Foundation committed $1.125 million to Ivey in 2012 to establish and support the Suncor Chair in Energy Policy, held by Ivey Associate Professor Guy Holburn, and a five-year program to enhance energy policy research and provide informed debate on policy options in the energy sector. The scholarships are part of this commitment and go toward supporting students who wish to make an impact in the energy sector.
Students like Wang, who said she hopes to work in the rural electrification sector in emerging economies to help balance the demands of building sustainable infrastructure with social responsibility initiatives.
Wang has already worked with two renewable energy companies and said Ivey’s HBA program will help to further prepare her for work in the energy sector.
“By gaining a valuable set of foundational skills necessary to succeed in a business development role, I feel better prepared to work in an industry that will see rapid transformation over the next decade as technological innovation and resource constraints collide,” she said.
Zeeb also hopes to eventually work with energy companies and said the SEELA will help him meet that goal.
“It has been my goal for many years to work with energy companies to increase the efficiency of both the construction and operations of buildings. While Ivey has developed my leadership skills and has taught me the logistics of the business world, SEELA has helped me get even closer to fulfilling my dream,” he said.
And like Simioni, Cui said he will remember the support provided by Suncor Energy and hopes to one day give back in a similar way.
“The financial assistance that this scholarship provides will allow me to focus more on learning and developing my skills as a leader. I hope to one day be able to pass the generosity forward to help students achieve their goals just as this scholarship has helped me,” he said.
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