In collaboration with the Fondation de l'athlète d'excellence du Québec, Hydro-Québec Awards $88,000 in Scholarships to 30 Student-Athletes

MONTRÉAL, Sept. 21, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - Hydro-Québec and the Fondation de l'athlète d'excellence du Québec (Québec foundation for athletic excellence, or FAEQ) have announced the names of the 30 student-athletes who will receive a total of $88,000 in individual scholarships of $2,000 or $4,000 in this 19th year of the Hydro-Québec Scholarship Program with the FAEQ.

Two types of scholarships were awarded this year: 11 Academic Excellence scholarships to recognize outstanding academic achievements and 19 Academic and Athletic Support scholarships to encourage a healthy sport/study balance.

No fewer than 18 former Hydro-Québec Scholarship Program recipients made their marks at the Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games, including tennis player Eugénie Bouchard; divers Jennifer Abel, Meaghan Benfeito and Roseline Filion; swimmer Katerine Savard; judoka Antoine Valois-Fortier; wrestler Dorothy Yeats; and wheelchair basketball player Jonathan Vermette.

"The Hydro-Québec Scholarship Program, established in 1997, rewards student-athletes identified as Hopefuls or Elite in order to support emerging talents well before they are known and renowned," said FAEQ president Claude Chagnon. "For over 25 years, Hydro-Québec and FAEQ have been united for the academic, athletic and professional success of our scholarship recipients."

Eligibility Criteria

Student-athletes must have postcareer plans, which often include a secondary, college or university education. Besides being selected as Hopeful or Elite athletes by their sports federations, student-athletes must meet the eligibility criteria to represent Canada at the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games or World Championships for their sport. The Hydro-Québec scholarships are awarded to at least one student-athlete from each of the regions where the company operates.

2016 Hydro-Québec Scholarship Program Recipients

Academic Excellence - $2,000 Scholarships - Hopefuls Category
Name	Age	Sport	Hometown	School
Antoniadès, Pavlos	16	Triathlon	Trois-Rivières	Institut secondaire Keranna
Blais, Antoine	19	Cross-Country Skiing	Lévis	Cégep Garneau
Carier-Bergeron, Camille	16	Equestrian Sport - Dressage	Mascouche	Collège Saint-Sacrement
Chenard, Jérémy	17	Karate / Kumite	Gatineau	Cégep de l'Outaouais
Di Lallo, Jeremy	15	Soccer	Blainville	Rosemere High School
Vallerand, Julianne	15	Soccer	Terrebonne	École sec. Antoine-de-Saint-Exupéry
Academic Excellence - $4,000 Scholarships - Elite Category
Brimo, Brooke	20	Synchronized Swimming	Pierrefonds	UQAM
Charles, Alyson	17	Speed Skating - Short Track	Montréal	Collège de Maisonneuve
Gauthier, Sophie	13	Table Tennis	Repentigny	École secondaire Jean-Baptiste-Meilleur
Lalonde, Lauriane	17	Archery	Saint-Constant	Cégep Édouard-Montpetit
Laroche, Florence	16	Soccer	Laval	École secondaire Georges-Vanier
Academic and Athletic Support - $2,000 Scholarships – Hopefuls Category
Bouchard, Mathieu	17	Judo	Sept-Îles	Collège de Maisonneuve
Chabot, Fay	16	Boxing	Saint-Elzéar-de-Témiscouata	École secondaire de Cabano
Cristofanilli, Zachary	20	Cross-Country Skiing	Orford	Cégep à distance
Kirouac-Marcassa, Thierry	18	Cycling	Boucherville	Cégep Édouard-Montpetit
Maltais, Félix	16	BMX	Drummondville	École secondaire Marie-Rivier
Ntambue, Donna	15	Basketball	Montréal	École secondaire Lucien-Pagé
Patry, Rémy	17	Baseball	Gatineau	Collège Ahuntsic
Valois, Jacob	18	Judo	Boucherville	Cégep Édouard-Montpetit
Verreault, Victor	16	Mountain Biking	St-Félicien	Polyvalente des Quatre-vents
Yao, Karifa	15	Soccer	Laval	École sec. Antoine-de-Saint-Exupéry
Academic and Athletic Support - $4,000 Scholarships - Elite Category
Baril, Olivia	18	Cycling	Rouyn-Noranda	Cégep de l'Abitibi-Témiscamingue
Bouffard, Félix-Antoine	20	Weightlifting	Île Bizard	Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe
Capogreco, Ariane	19	Softball	Terrebonne	Université de Montréal
Laviolette, Yannick	20	Canoe Slalom	Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague	Collège de Valleyfield
Moore, Alex	19	Olympic Wrestling	Montréal	Vanier College
Portuondo-Isasi, Adriana	19	Judo	La Prairie	Cégep Marie-Victorin
Provost, David	19	Speed Canoeing/Kayaking	Lachine	Cégep André-Laurendeau
Saint-Jean, Keven	19	Taekwondo	Terrebonne	Cégep régional de Lanaudière à Terrebonne
Sanchez, Teo	19	Biathlon	Wakefield	Athabasca University

About the Fondation de l'athlète d'excellence du Québec: UNITED FOR SUCCESS

The foundation stands out for its customized approach, its careful management and its influential role in sports and education. Its new five-year plan, for 2015 to 2020, focuses on the foundation's main objectives: to increase by 35% the annual amount awarded in scholarships, and to increase the number of annual recipients. This year, a total of 1.2 million dollars will be awarded to more than 425 students and student-athletes. The foundation's scholarships reward academic excellence, encourage balancing high-level sports and study, highlight leadership skills and honor perseverance. FAEQ is inspired by a genuine desire to unite with its partners and former recipients for the success of its recipients, and to make a difference in their academic, athletic and/or personal journeys. Visit the foundation's Web site at faeq.com and like the foundation's Facebook page: FAEQ – Fondation de l'athlète d'excellence du Québec.

SOURCE Hydro-Québec

(to be used exclusively by journalists and other media professionals): Carolyne Hudson, Advisor - Donations and Sponsorships, Hydro-Québec, Phone: [phone] ext. 2290, [email protected]; Patricia Demers, Executive Director, Fondation de l'athlète d'excellence du Québec, Phone: [phone] ext. 3728, [email protected]