Hamilton High School Student and Community Leader Named Recipient of Meridian's Sean Jackson Scholarship

TORONTO, Aug. 21, 2019 /CNW/ - Meridian, Ontario's largest credit union and third largest in Canada, is proud to name Hamilton resident Luca Ramelli as the 2019 recipient of the Meridian Sean Jackson Scholarship. 

Launched in honour of Meridian's former CEO Sean Jackson, an avid community leader, the scholarship awards $10,000 to one Ontario high school student who demonstrates both academic excellence and an outstanding commitment to community. This is the five year anniversary for the scholarship. 

"From launching their own social enterprises, or spreading awareness about critical issues, young Canadians are making a positive impact on their community every day and getting involved in the issues that are close to their hearts," said Nicole Mitchell, Acting Director, Social Commitment, Meridian. "We're so proud of Luca as this year's scholarship recipient, one of Ontario's brightest young academics and a passionate advocate of inclusivity in his community."

Luca's passion for improving the health of individuals led him to create innovative solutions to complex healthcare problems. Through his own initiative, Luca led a project that reduces the risk of falls in seniors when they are discharged from the hospital.

After conducting thorough research into the prevalence and impact of falls on seniors, and the efficacy of augmented reality in education and training, Luca had a project greenlit with the Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) and Mohawk College administration. 

Luca worked with an inter-professional team, including patients, to develop a prototype augmented reality solution that enables healthcare professionals to analyze pictures of a patient's setting, interact with the picture, and to educate the patient on how to change their home environment to reduce their risks of falls. They are currently in the User Acceptance Testing phase of the project and Luca is working with his mentor to explore the opportunity of formalizing an experiential learning program between his school board and HHS. 

In addition to his work with HHS, Luca — a talented athlete — gives his time to Hamilton Challenger Baseball, coaching athletes with cognitive and physical challenges. He is also an accomplished musician, creating original compositions and volunteering his talents to play for medically complex and palliative care patients.

Luca will continue his education at Queen's University in September where he has been accepted into the Queen's University Accelerated Route to Medical School (QuARMS) program. The QuARMS program offers 10 high school students the opportunity to apply for admission to Queen's School of Medicine at the end of two years of undergraduate study, enabling them the opportunity to finish their Medical Degree (MD) just six years after finishing high school. 

"I am honoured to be a recipient of Meridian's Sean Jackson Scholarship and hope that my experience will inspire other young people to give back to their community and make a meaningful difference in the world," says Luca. "Find your passion and excel at what you love, everyone has so much to give to the world so don't be afraid to share it!" 

Meridian's Sean Jackson Scholarship is administered in partnership with the Niagara Community Foundation, and an annual call for applications from Ontario high school graduates is made each spring. Applications for next year will be accepted as of March 1, 2020. Visit http://www.meridiancu.ca/scholarship for information. For more information about Luca, see a featured video about him on YouTube.

About Meridian
With more than 75 years of banking history, Meridian is Ontario's largest credit union and the third largest in Canada, helping to grow the lives of its 350,000 Members. Meridian has $21.6 billion in assets under management as of May 31, 2019 and delivers a full range of financial services online, by phone, by mobile and through a network of 91 branches across Ontario, and business banking services in 13 locations. Meridian Members also have access to THE EXCHANGE® Network, with 3,700 no-fee ABMs across Canada and 500,000 ABMs in the United States. For more information, please visit: meridiancu.ca. 

SOURCE Meridian Credit Union

Teresa Pagnutti, Senior Manager, Public Relations, Meridian, 416-597-4444 Ext. 2667