On International Women's Day, Air Canada and CAE announced the eight winners of the 2024 Captain Judy Cameron Scholarships. The two Montreal-based global aviation companies have again joined forces to award scholarships to eight women from across Canada who are pursuing careers as commercial pilots or aircraft maintenance engineers.
The Captain Judy Cameron Scholarship, now in its fifth year, was established in honour of Air Canada's first female pilot. Air Canada and CAE award scholarships annually in conjunction with the Northern Lights Aero Foundation to foster the next generation of women in aviation.
"Air Canada takes great pride in its leadership role in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within the aviation industry. Women are well represented across all levels and branches of our airline," said Arielle Meloul-Wechsler, Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer, and Public Affairs at Air Canada. "The Judy Cameron Scholarship actively works to support and empower the next generation of women pursuing non-traditional aviation STEM careers. Congratulations to this year's winners."
The four CAE recipients training to become commercial pilots will become CAE Women in Flight program ambassadors and play a key role in encouraging more women to pursue careers in aviation.
"CAE is proud to be a leader in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in aviation. Initiatives like CAE's Women in Flight Program and the Captain Judy Cameron Scholarships are critical to attracting and supporting more women in making their dream of a career in aviation a reality," said Marie-Christine Cloutier, CAE's Vice President, Civil Aviation Performance, Strategy and Marketing.
"I'm incredibly excited that the Northern Lights Aero Foundation received a record number of applications for the Captain Judy Cameron scholarships this year. Kudos to Air Canada for initiating and building momentum for the program over the past five years, and to CAE for joining the effort in 2022 to encourage more women in their aviation careers," said Judy Cameron, Boeing 777 Captain at Air Canada (retired) and Director of the Northern Lights Aero Foundation. "Past recipients have become flight instructors, maintenance engineers, and commercial pilots across Canada. This year's recipients will inspire and support other women in their aviation journeys. Congratulations to the eight recipients and to Air Canada and CAE for generously funding the scholarships."
Captain Judy Cameron Scholarship Awards
Air Canada award recipients:
- Harnoor Bagarhy - Brampton, Ontario
- Harman Bagarhy - Brampton, Ontario
- Emily Contos - Winnipeg, Manitoba
- Chanelle Wilson - Coldstream, British Columbia
CAE Women in Flight Ambassadors:
- Ashley Gellatly - Cargill, Ontario
- Nyssa Hansen - Delta, British Columbia
- Chloe Muhl - Grimsby, Ontario
- Trisha Virdee - Innisfil, Ontario
