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who we are

reach.engage.retain.


We are  your connection to reaching and engaging students and youth.  Since 1998, we have been the portal to understanding what is most important to students: what they purchase, what drives success, their motivations, their opinions, and their hopes for the future. With the recent addition of our new Employer Branding Division we can now create a school to workplace relationship.

We know students and can connect them to you. For 14 years, we have immersed ourselves in reaching and engaging with students on behalf of our clients in various sectors, companies and industries  – all across Canada in both English and French.  Working with us means access to the hard to reach target group of youth aged 18 to 24, all of whom have opted in and are open to receiving information. Studentawards is the only company that can best match your goals to students.


Where we first meet students.

Students seek us out in search of scholarships, bursaries, and other funding to help them on their post-secondary journey to college or university.  We are the largest centralized national source of monies for students available from private programs and organizational awards. Students register at our sites studentawards.com and boursetudes.com to be provided with a personalized listing of scholarships and awards that pertain specifically to them. Over 2 million students have registered at the websites since 1998.


Growing our relationship with students.

Through the studentawards.com forum and social media outreach, we see how influential this group can be.  Peer support and review of issues, products, and people is impressive. We ask them to sample, try, comment on and support companies and organizations that reach out to us in search of connections with students.  From product offerings to company contests, we can foster positive relationships between you and the student.  Students look to us to provide them with information, and are incredibly responsive to companies wanting to connect with them through student-specific deals.


Connecting you with the student audience.

We  have a team of creative digital experts who develop integrated marketing campaigns that take advantage of our online advertising capabilities, our community, SMS communications, promotions and events to engage students while having your key messages stand out and resonate. 

Every element of your campaign will reflect the brand yet speak directly to the target youth audience to attract genuine interest and effectively communicate your key messages. Each communication piece we develop is designed to generate a positive response.


Connect with students before your competition does.

Our work spans a wide range of industries and we partner with the most recognizable brands in Canada.  All have realized their objectives and they understand the long lasting benefits of engaging with students who are at an impressionable stage in their lives.  At Studentawards, we can prove that students support companies that support them.


Employer branding and recruitment.

Our  newest division connects employers to students.  From school to workforce, this division offers companies the chance to recruit, offer internships, or fill valuable volunteer positions.  With the ability to reach 600,000 opted-in members, we have the largest pool of candidates in Canada. Get “matched” with future employees.


our

team

 

Lesley Gouldie

Chief Executive Officer

Before taking the helm at Studentawards in 2008, Lesley spent close to 10 years in senior executive roles in General Management and Finance at Thomson Nelson, a division of the Thomson Corporation and Canada’s largest educational publisher. During her tenure at Thomson, she was President of the Canadian Publishers Council, augmenting her relationships with stakeholders in the education industry, and igniting her passion for education and student success. Lesley obtained her post secondary education in South Africa, acquiring 2 undergraduate degrees in finance and law and a professional designation (CA).

lesley@studentawards.com
Suzanne Tyson

President

Suzanne has over 20 years of business experience in youth, loyalty and digital marketing, publishing, higher education consulting and mobile communications. As President of Studentawards Inc. www.studentawardsinc.com, Suzanne has the pleasure of helping students succeed in their pursuit of higher education and at the same time, helping Canadian corporations access the hearts and minds of those students. Studentawards is a business model built on “doing well by doing good”. Suzanne got her BA from Western in 1987 and returned there to get an MBA in 1996—she counts her lucky stars because her graduating MBA class was the first to boast the Ivey name—and the second to last to benefit from tuition under $3,000 per year!.

suzanne@studentawards.com

 

Don Bettger

Executive Vice President, Strategic Growth Initiatives

Don Bettger is a veteran sales leader. He previously led sales organizations at the two largest Educational Publishers in Canada (Prentice Hall and Thomson Nelson). In addition, he spent time in smaller, entrepreneurial companies in educational publishing (Houghton Mifflin) and print (Diversity Media Services, part of Multimedia Nova). His record of hiring top notch sales people and managing high performing sales teams is outstanding. While at Thomson Nelson, Don also provided leadership by facilitating cross functional teams tasked with improving business systems within the company.

don@studentawards.com
Maria Popova

Director, Research Services

Maria oversees Market Research operations and client service at Uthink Online, a division of Studentawards Inc. With over 6 years of experience in various roles in the market research industry, Maria ably covers every aspect of the data collection process from sales, project management, to field & data delivery. Since joining Uthink Online in 2007, Maria has played a key role in its evolution to its current form, delivering high level service and execution to every client and project. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Ryerson University with a major in Marketing Management and minor in International Business. Maria is currently pursuing a CMRP designation through the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association (MRIA).

maria@uthinkonline.com