Women in Business Scholarship

Amelia Brooker is the recipient of the 2021 Zonta Club of Victoria Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarship.

She is currently enrolled in a BA in English (Hons) and Master of Management Dual program at the Robert H. Lee Graduate School at UBC Sauder School of Business.

Amelia’s interests lie in writing, publishing and producing. She has written multiple one-act plays and is currently freelance writing for the City of Kelowna Arts & Culture district. She is a regional director of a non-profit writing collective and is also expanding her leadership skills as Deputy Speaker of the BC Youth Parliament. She is a karate instructor and internationally ranked competitor. Her aim is to combine her passion for literature with leadership and management abilities to pave the way for female writers to advance and excel in this field.

Jessica Hu is the recipient of the Zonta Club of Victoria 2020 Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarship.

Jessica is entering her fourth year Bachelor of Commerce program at the University of Victoria. 

Her volunteer experiences include: Orientation leader with UVic Student recruitment and Vice President of Robert Bateman Secondary Kiwanis Club where she completed projects in partnership with UNICEF, Salvation Army, and the local food bank.

After being selected as one of the seventeen students to enroll in the Applied Investment Management Course (AIMC) offered by UVic, Jessica has found her passion in both finance and accounting. Currently, she is doing a co-op at BCI in the investment accounting branch to further expand her knowledge base. Upon graduation she plans on pursuing her CFA and CPA designations and hopes to give back to the community. 

University of Victoria weekend MBA student Corrine Thiessen has won two Zonta international women in business scholarships and is in line for a third.    Thiessen first won the Zonta Club of Victoria US $2,000 Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarship, and went on to secure the Zonta District 8 scholarship also worth US$2,000. She has applied for the US$8,000 Zonta International scholarship.

Zonta Victoria President Barbie Zipp said there is a need for more women leaders in business pointing to the recent decision by Indra Nooyi to step down as PepsiCo chief executive.  “Women make up nearly 50 percent of the global workforce,” said Zipp, “however, gender equality in senior management and corporate boardrooms around the world is a long way off.   “In fact, 21.2 percent of Fortune  500 companies’ board seats are occupied by women, and just 5.2 percent of the companies' CEOs are women.”    Overall, there are currently 25 female CEOs including Nooyi in the S&P 500, according to Catalyst, which promotes women in the workplace.   Zonta International established the Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarship to encourage more women to pursue education and careers in business.     Thiessen, who works for Imperial Oil in Calgary, notes that out of necessity the next generation of leaders will need to do things differently. “I have always been fascinated by the deep and complex global issues surrounding energy’s role in the quality of life, economic stability and environmental protection,” Thiessen said. “It is evident that a balanced, sustainable and secure energy future, provided by an evolving mix of fossil fuels and renewable sources, is required to maintain a high standard of living.”      Finance Professor Catherine Roy‐Heaton of the Mount Royal University’s Bisset School of Business said Thiessen is “of superior intelligence and holds superior analytical and communication skills.”          Imperial Oil corporate secretary Lara Pella said that in addition to being an exemplary young professional, “Corrine is a role model to all young professionals.”