Stacey’s parents, Cheryl and Ned Levitt of Toronto, selected this year’s recipients from among 300 applicants. The 2002 Stacey Levitt Women and Sport Scholarships are awarded to:
Simone Gruenig, Kelowna, British Columbia
Kristy Haines, Bristol, New Brunswick
Jane Rutherford, Ottawa, Ontario
Ruth St-Cyr, Deux-Montagnes, Québec
Katie Shaw, Calgary, Alberta
“It was tremendous to see the nominations of so many talented young women from all across the country,” said Cheryl Levitt, as she announced the names of the recipients. “We are so grateful that we can honour Stacey’s memory by encouraging these young women to continue their education, their athletic pursuits and their community involvement. It allows us to see the spirit of our daughter remain alive, and to imagine that if she had turned 25 this year, that she would have been as vibrant a young woman as these five recipients we honour this year.”
Shawnee Scatliff, Chair of the CAAWS Board of Directors, was also pleased that CAAWS could administer the award on behalf of the Levitt family. “It is our dream at CAAWS to see vibrant young women being so active and effective in their schools and communities, and encouraging girls to be active participants not only in sport, but in life. CAAWS is very proud to be associated with the Levitt family, and with the Stacey Levitt Scholarship.”
SIMONE GRUENIG
Simone Gruenig began participating in many different sporting activities at an early age, and by the time she finished High School she had participated on every available sports team. This pattern continued when she entered the Honours Bachelor of Science Human Kinetics program at Ottawa University. While studying, she took part in many intramural activities, pursued her passion for swimming and triathlons and completed her coaching certificates, fitness instruction and appraisal diplomas. After the sudden death of her mother, she found a way to live each day to its fullest and to give to those less fortunate. She developed a deep passion for volunteering and contributing her resources and skills to community programs. Most of her volunteer work has been with females in the rehabilitation sector and with children. This September Simone enters the Masters of Science in Physical Therapy program at the University of Toronto. She hopes to combine all of her educational, volunteer, athletic and personal experiences into a successful career as a physiotherapist.
KRISTY HAINES
A graduate of Carleton North High School in Bristol, New Brunswick, this fall 18-year old Kristy Haines will begin her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton. In addition to school work, babysitting, coaching pre-school gymnastics, and working, Kristy played on a variety of sports teams – soccer, hockey, badminton, volleyball, and softball. She was voted Most Athletic Female in her high school graduating class, and was named the Most Valuable Player for the senior badminton team. She helped to lead the first-ever Carleton North High School Varsity Girls Soccer team to a second-place finish in the N.B.I.A.A. Soccer Provincials. She and her partner also placed first in the Senior Mixed Doubles Event and she finished second in the Senior Ladies Singles Event at the N.B.I.A.A. Badminton Provincial Tournament. Kristy is hoping for a future in Sports Medicine, Physiotherapy or Occupational Therapy.
JANE RUTHERFORD
At the age of 24, Jane does not feel as thought she has broken the promise she made to herself years ago to be “fit for life”. While at the University of Guelph, she was a volunteer fitness instructor and personal trainer at the YMCA, a fitness consultant at the University’s Health and Performance Centre and was Guelph’s Heart and Stroke Foundation’s Community Presentations Program coordinator. Currently Jane works at a health food store and a fitness gym in Ottawa, and plays for the Outaouais Women’s Field Hockey Team. Earning four standings on the Dean’s Honor List during her last two academic years has allowed her to continue with graduate work. In the fall she returns to Guelph to pursue a Masters of Science degree in Human Biology and Nutrition, with an emphasis in exercise physiology. The research she will be conducting will contribute to the development of safer performance enhancing methods for athletes
RUTH ST-CYR
A native of Deux-Montagnes, Quebec, Ruth St-Cyr recently graduated from Vanier College in the three-year program of Building Systems Engineering Technology. One of the top students academically, Ruth was also involved in a variety of extra-curricular activities. She helped to re-establish the women’s rugby team back into the league at Vanier College, and she was a rugby player, and a team manager for the rugby and touch football teams. Last season, Ruth represented the Boisbriand-Junior B hockey team and was named “Best Offensive Player” in spite of an ankle injury, which almost jeopardized her season. This fall, Ruth will be entering Montréal’s Concordia University in Exercise Science (Specialization), which is a newly discovered passion for her. She plans to stay active with the varsity hockey and rugby teams. She hopes to use her talent, devotion, and determination to both improve her skills and to become the best athlete that she can be.
KATIE SHAW
Eighteen-year old Katie Shaw will move this fall from her hometown of Calgary, Alberta to London, Ontario to begin a degree in biology at The University of Western Ontario. She already has her goals and aspirations established four years down the road, and plans to attend medical school to become a plastic surgeon after completing her undergraduate degree at Western. Currently, involved in soccer with the Calgary Storm, division one, under 18 girls’ team, and the team is ranked number one in the City of Calgary. She has played soccer competitively for the last ten years, and hopes to continue with this sport next year as a Western Mustang. In her free time Katie also volunteers as a youth soccer coach on the Tsuu Tina native reserve. Along with her younger sister, she works with the reserve children to develop their soccer skills and love for the game.
