Sorel-Tracy, June 11, 2020 - Laurie Dauplaise, student intern at the Centre de transfert technologique en écologie industrielle (CTTÉI), won an $80,000 Schulich Leader scholarship this week. She tells us about her adventure and her plans for the future.
Laurie Dauplaise, 18, is from Sorel-Tracy. This graduate in Natural Sciences at the Cégep de Sorel-Tracy, distinguished herself by her excellent results, but also by her involvement in the Cégep's sustainable development committee.
"I enjoy science out of intellectual curiosity. I also like its applications, the improvements it can make in our daily lives and in our community," says Laurie. Far from the cliché of the isolated scientist, the brilliant young woman enjoys helping others and sharing her knowledge.
A well-defended candidacy
To apply for the Schulich Leader Scholarship, Laurie had to write an essay describing her achievements and plans and collect several recommendations. "My arts and humanities teacher, Eric Lamonde, helped me develop greater self-confidence. My natural science teacher, Marianne Blain-Fortin, also gave me a lot of encouragement. She was the one who recommended me as an intern at Cttéi last year," says Laurie with gratitude.
"I love my involvement with Cttéi. What I retain from this team is the collaboration, the sense of sharing, the multi-disciplinarity. Physics, engineering, chemistry, microbiology: here, everyone walks hand in hand. We have an incredible diversity of expertise and research projects," explains Laurie.
"It is with great pleasure that I wrote a letter of recommendation to support her application for the Schulich Leader Scholarship," explains Julie Gendron, Director of Laboratories at Cttéi and Laurie's internship supervisor since the beginning of 2019. "It wasn't difficult because Laurie is diligent, curious and committed. We are really proud of her. »
How does Laurie plan to use this scholarship? "This amount will go a long way towards financing my studies at Laval University in Quebec City, where I wish to complete a Bachelor's degree in Physics. I would also like to use it to go abroad to study or do internships when the time comes. Why not in a research centre in Europe! »
Women in Science
Laurie is particularly interested in astrophysics. She intends to promote the presence of women in physics, a point she mentioned in her file. "Physics is a science that is less talked about, but it has the potential for application in many disciplines: astronomy, biology, engineering. Later on, I might want to specialize in a master's degree. Thanks to this scholarship, the doors are wide open. »
Laurie Dauplaise studied at Saint-Gabriel-Lalemant School in Sorel-Tracy and at Collège Saint-Maurice in Saint-Hyacinthe. She is proud to have chosen to continue her studies at the Cégep de Sorel-Tracy, "a small CEGEP but recognized for the quality of its programs and its family atmosphere. "She will complete her internship at Cttéi in mid-August 2020, then continue her university studies at Université Laval in Quebec City with a bachelor's degree in physics. "My parents don't work in science, but they are graduate professionals. They encouraged me to invest in my education and in higher education. That's what I plan to do! "says Laurie, full of enthusiasm and with stars in her eyes.
