ESET Canada names Mélanie Cadelis as the winner of the $5,000 scholarship
TORONTO, June 9, 2021 – ESET, a global leader in IT security, is thrilled to announce that Mélanie Cadelis has been selected by ESET Canada as the winner of the Sixth Annual Women in Cybersecurity Scholarship.
Designed to help address the underrepresentation of women in the cybersecurity field, the Annual Women in Cybersecurity Scholarship grants $5,000 to an outstanding graduate/undergraduate woman majoring in a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) field of study. This is the first time that ESET Canada has participated in the program.
Mélanie Cadelis is a third-year undergraduate student at the University of Laval in Quebec, majoring in computer science and management.
In addition to maintaining excellent academic standards, receiving the highest academic achievement and several involvement awards, Mélanie works to inspire future generations and empower women in the cybersecurity field by showing them their contributions are essential to design solutions that will meet the diverse needs of an evergrowing industry.
“I strongly believe in empowering women and have co-founded a student association called Fémin-IT, an organization that encourages women to join the tech and cybersecurity fields. In forming Fémin-IT, we hope to create a safe space where women can express themselves, share interests and support and encourage each other in this male-dominated environment,” says Cadelis. “I am also a delegate of the Computer Science and Management Program Committee and actively participate in events that encourage more young people to pursue careers in the IT industry and cybersecurity space,”
Mélanie also plans to continue her studies for the fall semester at the University of Virginia in the United States, to improve her cultural awareness and develop skills that will help her work in a globalized technology environment.
“We were inspired to see the number of highly qualified Canadian applicants who applied to the scholarship, showing both their passion in the technology field and desire to do good with their unique skill set,” said Celeste Blodgett, vice president of human resources at ESET. “After a rigorous selection process, we decided that Mélanie embodies the spirit behind the ESET Women in Cybersecurity Scholarship. She is driven, takes initiatives to pursue her goals and still finds time to help other women and students in technology.”
Although this is the first year that ESET Canada has participated in the program, the ESET Women in Cybersecurity Scholarship was launched in 2016 to help support and encourage women who aspire to have a career in information security. Applicants must be a woman enrolled in or accepted to an accredited undergraduate or graduate program in Canada with a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA.
Applicants were asked to complete a two-part essay and include a letter of recommendation. More information on the qualifying process can be found here.
About ESET
For more than 30 years, ESET® has been developing industry-leading IT security software and services to protect businesses, critical infrastructure and consumers worldwide from increasingly sophisticated digital threats. From endpoint and mobile security to endpoint detection and response, as well as encryption and multifactor authentication, ESET’s high-performing, easy-to-use solutions unobtrusively protect and monitor 24/7, updating defenses in real time to keep users safe and businesses running without interruption. Evolving threats require an evolving IT security company that enables the safe use of technology. This is backed by ESET’s R&D centers worldwide, working in support of our shared future. For more information, visit www.eset.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.