Press Releases
INTERAC® and Retail Council of Canada Announce Top Applicant of 2009 Retail as a Career Scholarship Program
Toronto, ON, June 2, 2009 – INTERAC and Retail Council of Canada (RCC) are pleased to announce the name of the top applicant of the 2009 Retail as a Career Scholarship Program, a program that honours students entering or enrolled in a business, marketing or retail-related program at a Canadian post-secondary institution.
Telis Carayannakis, currently enrolled in Agincourt Collegiate Institute in Toronto, Ontario, is the winner of the $5,000 scholarship, funded by INTERAC.
Mr. Carayannakis was one of 28 high school and post-secondary students from across the country awarded $1,000 scholarships to assist in their pursuit of retail as a career. New this year, INTERAC awarded an additional $5,000 scholarship to the top applicant among the 28 finalists.
"As a retail partner, INTERAC recognizes the importance of education and is pleased to support those who demonstrate passion, innovation and a commitment to a career in retail," said Mark O'Connell, CEO & President, Interac Association. "We congratulate Mr. Carayannakis and are confident that this financial assistance will help in his journey towards a fulfilling education and rewarding career."
Over the past six years, RCC and its sponsors have given more than $100,000 in scholarships to students who exemplify excellence in retail and demonstrate a strong commitment to the future of retail through their education.
"Pursuing an education in retail requires dedication and funding," said Diane J. Brisebois, President and CEO, Retail Council of Canada. "We are grateful to INTERAC for funding this additional $5,000 scholarship and thank all of our sponsors for their generous support, which will help students further their education and develop the skills required to succeed in retail."
This year's scholarship recipients were required to demonstrate their knowledge of current trends in retail and they illustrated that they are in-tune with the many areas of the retail industry.
"My part time job has given me some great retail experience, especially when it comes to understanding customers and knowing how to communicate to them," said Telis Carayannakis. "Now, with this generous scholarship, I will be able to enhance my job experience with a valuable education in retail to develop the skills I need to advance my career."
For more information about the 2009 Retail as a Career program and the scholarship winners, please visit www.retailcouncil.org/education/programs/scholarship.asp.
About Retail Council of Canada
Retail Council of Canada (www.retailcouncil.org) is the Voice of Retail. It is a not-for-profit association representing more than 40,000 stores of all retail formats, including independent merchants, regional and national mass and specialty chains, and online merchants.
About Acxsys Corporation
A recognized world leader in debit card services, Interac Association is responsible for the development and operations of the INTERAC network, a national payment network that allows Canadians to access their money through Automated Banking Machines and point-of-sale terminals across Canada. Interac Association was founded in 1984 and is composed of a diverse membership which includes banks, trust companies, credit unions, caisses populaires, merchants, and technology and payment related companies.
Other INTERAC-branded and related services include: INTERAC Online, for secure online payments directly from a bank account, INTERAC e-Transfer, for the transfer of money from a bank account to anyone with an email address, and Cross Border Debit, for point-of-sale access at more than 1.5 million U.S. retailers.
