Three York Region students win $500 YCA Award

York Region, Ontario (June 15, 2009) – Three York Region students are the winners of the third annual YCA Awards and the $500 prize money that goes with each award. The York District Chartered Accountants launched the YCA Award in 2005 to give high school students considering a career as a Chartered Accountant the opportunity to compete, have fun and earn some cash prizes. 

The winners are

• Stephanie Hou of St. Elizabeth Catholic High School in Thornhill
• Dylan DiLecce of Markville Secondary School in Markham
• Ross Pasceri of Holy Cross Catholic Academy in Woodbridge

The top three students received certificate and a cheque for $500 and attended a formal luncheon at the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario’s office in Toronto on June 15, 2009.

"This contest gives York Region's graduating high school students a chance to think about a career as a Chartered Accountant, while collecting some money," says Khalid Usman, CA, and Secretary of the York District Chartered Accountants Association Awards Committee. "This year we were impressed with the creativity students demonstrated in their submissions. Many students wrote from the heart and impressed us greatly. 

 “There are over 33,000 CAs in Ontario and they’re working at a wide range of top jobs in almost every industry you can name. The more students learn about the opportunities a CA designation offers, the more likely they are to choose this exciting career path,” says Mona Ghiami, CA, Director of Career Information at the ICAO.

The contest was open to York Region students who are graduating full-time students attending high school. They submitted an essay of no more than 300 words on why they might consider a career as a Chartered Accountant. Essays were evaluated for demonstrated research, creativity, effective writing style, spelling and grammar.

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About the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario:
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario is the qualifying and regulatory body of Ontario's more than 33,000 CAs and 5,000 CA students. Since 1879, the Institute has protected the public interest through the CA profession's internationally recognized standards of qualification and conduct. A wide range of organizations and individuals count on Ontario CAs to provide trustworthy and strategic insight, business leadership and financial guidance. The Institute’s website is: www.icao.on.ca and the student website is www.guidetorulingtheworld.ca.

For more information, please contact:
Perry Jensen
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario
69 Bloor St. East  Toronto, Ontario   M4W 1B3 
416-969-4271 or 1-800-387-0735 ext. 271
pjensen@icao.on.ca