THUNDER BAY – Lakehead University’s Faculty of Business Administration is pleased to accept a substantial gift from BDO Canada. The BDO Accounting and Community Service Scholarship is an endowment valued at $80,000. It will be awarded to a student with financial need who is enrolled in Lakehead’s Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree program. The successful candidate must intend to pursue a Chartered Accountant designation, maintain an 80%+ average, demonstrate community involvement, and be a resident of Ontario.
“Lakehead offers a strong and competitive business program, and it’s tremendously rewarding to see this reputation reflected in a gift of such magnitude from a respected and successful organization, both locally and nation wide,” says Dr. Brian Stevenson, President, Lakehead University. Lee Gould, Vice-President (External Relations), notes the lasting impact Lakehead’s students, both current and former, have on the University and the broader community. “Many employees of the local BDO firm are Lakehead alumni, so this particular gift speaks volumes to the quality of Lakehead’s business programming in providing sound career opportunities for our graduates. It also speaks to the level of satisfaction employers have with our graduates in giving back to current students.”
BDO Canada is committed to creating scholarships for the most deserving and motivated accounting students, actively supporting and encouraging academic excellence, initiative, diligence, and leadership among Canada’s next generation of accounting leaders. The scholarship provides students with financial support, and rewards those who distinguish themselves through academic merit while demonstrating involvement both at school and in the community.
“Lakehead University has long been the primary recruiting source for the Thunder Bay office of BDO Canada. Of our current staff complement, almost 40% of the staff are Lakehead alumni,” says Blair Smith, Office Managing Partner of BDO Canada LLP. Smith adds that BDO Canada has enjoyed a great deal of success with Lakehead graduates and sees this scholarship as a way to help Lakehead continue to grow and attract the finest students.
“Our business students, faculty, and staff are grateful to BDO Canada for this gift. It certainly demonstrates the firm’s desire to invest in deserving students and to motivate them to achieve ongoing excellence,” says Dr. Bahram Dadgostar, Dean, Faculty of Business Administration. “Business programs are very competitive by nature, so providing this opportunity to students in need allows them to reserve their drive for academics rather than worrying about supporting themselves financially while simultaneously focusing on their studies.”