Launching the 2004-2005 Heidi Thiessen Memorial Award

by Christy Simard, Student Awards Manager

This issue of The Quill marks the launch of the publicity campaign for this year's Heidi Thiessen Memorial Award. Presented yearly to three university students, this award goes to strong academic performers who demonstrate excellent technical communication skills and true interest in the field.

Increase in Scope

This year, the exciting news (apart from the $1,500 we give away, the amazing students we meet, and the committed volunteers who make it happen) centers around an increase in our scope. For the first time, University of Guelph students are invited to participate in the award competition.

After keeping an eye on technical communications at Guelph for the last couple of years, we’ve decided it’s time to reach out and make contact. Deb Maskens, a past president of our chapter, now works at the University of Guelph. Deb has kindly agreed to collect applications from Guelph students and work her magic to get the word out.

Getting the Word Out and Getting Details

Please join us at the March Wine & Cheese to enjoy a short awards ceremony and a chance to mingle with hot talent from area universities. And, if you know any third or fourth year students at University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University or University of Guelph, please send them to our Web site to get all the details!

About Christy Simard

Christy manages a team of information developers in Kitchener-Waterloo, where she supports traditional writing jobs, user interface design work, and marketing writing assignments. Her expertise combines an educational background in technical writing with eight years of industry experience.

Christy became a member of the STC in 1998; this is her third year as a volunteer on council.