Three outstanding young Canadians received the 2024 Ruth Hancock Foundation Scholarships, awarded to applicants who demonstrate strong character and leadership qualities, a willingness to assist others and a genuine interest in pursuing a broadcasting career. Their commitment is reflected through involvement in extra-curricular activities related to broadcasting or broadcast sales and marketing, or through self-initiated undertakings. Jennifer Copestake, Jessie Venegas-Garcia, and Ashly Dawn Larson are this year’s award recipients, and have each received a $1,500 scholarship.
Sponsored by the Broadcast Executives Society (BES), the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) and the Canadian Association of Broadcast Representatives (CABR), the Ruth Hancock Scholarships are designed to encourage talented, hard working students to pursue careers in Canadian broadcasting or broadcast sales/marketing.
Ruth Hancock was universally admired in the Canadian broadcasting industry for her diligence, her enthusiasm, her fair-minded approach and her willingness to help others personally and professionally. For 12 years she was manager of the Toronto office of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters, and executive secretary of both the Broadcast Executives Society and the Central Canada Broadcasters’ Association. In 1973, Ruth Hancock joined the CTV Network as Director of Promotion and Public Relations, and was appointed that same year as the executive assistant to the President of the CTV. She passed away in December of 1973. The criteria on which applicants are judged best exemplify the admirable qualities of Ruth Hancock.
Jennifer Copestake is currently studying in the Bachelor of Journalism program at Carleton University in Ottawa. Her professional ambition is to work as a foreign correspondent. Jennifer has already jump-started her career in global broadcasting by studying international new reporting for a semester at the City University of London, England.
Jessie Venegas-Garcia is enrolled in Mass Communications and Political Sciences at McMaster University in Hamilton. Jesse traveled alone to Canada from Colombia at the age of 15. Though she spoke no English when she arrived, she quickly learned much about her new home, including the important role that a free press plays in Canadian society. Jesse is a motivated self-starter, who has job-shadowed at the Hamilton Spectator and Rick Mercer Report, and who will pursue her studies as an exchange student at the University of Newcastle in Australia, where she will study broadcasting and journalism.
Ashly Dawn Larson is a student at Assiniboine Community College in Brandon, Manitoba in the Media Production / Communications program. Ashly is passionate about a future career in the communications field, and she states that the skills she is developing through her studies will help her to convey essential news stories. She has already endeavored to communicate ¿ through the work she has done in different media ¿ the effect that BSE, or “mad cow disease”, has had on rural communities like her own in Manitoba.
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