Student Resources

Torchia Scholarship

The Scholarship is awarded annually to the student who best exemplifies the spirit and practice of bilingualism in the Canadian communications and public relations profession.  It is inspired by the career of Armand Torchia, who cofounded the Houston Group with Stan Houston, and Torchia Communications with his son JeanClaude.  The Scholarship adheres to the values espoused by Torchia Communications in providing quality services in both of Canada’s official languages.

The Candidate The Scholarship will be awarded to a student who has chosen to study public relations/communications in one of Canada’s two official languages that is not his/her first language or mother tongue. The student will be entering his/her second year of study in public relations/communications at a Canadian university or college, in either a degree program or a multiyear diploma or certificate program that meets recognized standards of education. The scholarship is valued at $1,500 and is for one year only.

>> An application and more information can be downloaded here.

Denis Racine Student Bursary

Royal Roads student and CPRS-VI member Lindsay Nicole McPherson is the 2009 winner of the Denis Racine Student Bursary. McPherson is currently working on her BA in Professional Communications and expects to graduate in 2011. She is a long time volunteer and was Communications chair for the 2008 and 2009 Columbia Valley Relay for Life and has been involved in municipal and provincial political campaigns.

The annual $500 bursary is available to CPRS-VI student members who live on Vancouver Island or the Gulf Islands, are registered in a post-secondary educational program and have completed three or more courses. Recipients are chosen by a CPRS education committee of public relations professionals comprised of Marie Zirk from Integral PR & Design, Anita Wasiuta from BC Transit, Joan Yates from Camosun College, Maggie Kerr-Southin from Artemis PR & Design and David Alexander from Zero One Design.

Denis Racine was a prominent figure in Victoria's public relations community and a strong mentor for youth. He was president of both CPRS-VI and CPRS National as well as Tournament Director for the Times Colonist Open and an advisor for the University of Victoria. The bursary was renamed in his honour after his death this year.

Donations to the Denis Racine Student Bursary may be sent to:
Communications + Public Relations Foundation,
Suite 1515, 73 Widdicombe Hill Blvd,
Toronto, Ontario, M9R 4B3

Applications for the 2010 Denis Racine Student Bursary will be accepted Fall, 2010.