PRESS RELEASE
TORONTO, August 1, 2019 – The International Language Academy of Canada (ILAC) is pleased to announce the 10 finalists of the ILAC Leadership Scholarships for Turkish Women. Each winner will receive a scholarship to study English at ILAC in Toronto for one academic year.
“These women are a true inspiration,” says Jonathan Kolber, CEO and Co-Founder of ILAC. “At ILAC, we believe that when you educate a girl you transform her world, and she, in return, transforms the world around her. That is the power of education and we hope that these scholarships will open doors and minds to incredible possibilities for these 10 young women from across Turkey.”
The 10 finalists of the ILAC Leadership Scholarships for Turkish Women are:
1. Simge Kilic, Izmir · Global Vision Izmir
2. Simge Nur Guducu, Istanbul · Atlas Taksim
3. Oyku Kubra Kir, Gaziantep · Academix Taksim
4. Ilayda Nur Arslaner, Izmir · ELT Izmir
5. Gizem Oyku Caglan, Ankara · Troy International
6. Ozge Cetinaslan, Ankara · Global Vision Ankara
7. Merve Ceyhan, Erzurum · YERO
8. Seyma Demir, Antalya · Edcon Nisantasi
9. Erna Gokaslan, Istanbul · Academix Taksim
10. Serra Tatlicilar, Bursa · Atlas Bursa
Runner-ups (in case of disqualification)
11. Esma Nur Pehlivan, Diyarbakir · Atlas Taksim
12. Eylul Betul Simsek, Istanbul · Academix Taksim
13. Meltem Ozdemir, Istanbul · Bilimevi Bahcesehir
14. Asude Arda, Istanbul · Kanada Kultur Merkezi
15. Sebnem Korkmaz, Sakarya · Atlas Taksim
16. Derya Caliskan, Manisa · Egitim Al
17. Esra Yilmaz, Istanbul · Study Zone
18. Merve Nur Izmirli, Manisa · Study Zone
19. Esra Yamanlar, Izmir · ICES
20. Deniz Altindag, Antalya · Academix Antalya
Special thanks to our participating partner agents: Academix, Atlas, Global Vizyon, Study Zone, Edcon, Alternatif, ELT, United Towers, Egitim Al, KKM, ICES, Success, Karya, Esse, Yero, Endless Abroad, Armada Grandee, Advice College, British College, Truva, Global Yurtdisi, Troy, Detay, GKR, Global Yurtdisi, Bilimevi, Edukas, Akin dil, Star Canada Visa and Eduvizyon.
To be eligible for the scholarships, applicants were asked to submit a one-minute video describing their achievements and goals in community service and leadership. The submissions were judged on the basis of their content and creativity and a commission was responsible for vetting and passing on the top 40 to ILAC to select the final ten.
The competition attracted over 250 applicants from across Turkey. The 10 winners of the scholarships are from diverse backgrounds and interests and were selected on the basis of their individual video submissions and letters of reference from their communities.
The 10 scholars are expected to begin their studies at ILAC in Toronto anytime between September 31, 2019, and December 31, 2020. Each scholarship is valued at $10,000 CAD for the duration of one academic year (nine months).
This is the third year in a row that ILAC has made a pledge of $100,000 CAD in scholarships to empower girls around the world. In 2018, ILAC welcomed 10 young women from across Latin America to study English in Toronto. The year before, ILAC funded studies for female refugees escaping the conflict in Syria. Other initiatives have included scholarships for girls in Ukraine and from the Middle East.
Turkish students have been coming to ILAC since 1997 and every year almost one thousand Turkish students study English at ILAC before continuing on to higher education institutions across Canada. ILAC has over 80 university and college partners that offer direct pathways for Turkish students.
CLICK HERE to meet the finalists and watch their winning videos for the ILAC Leadership Scholarships for Turkish Women!
About ILAC
The International Language Academy of Canada (ILAC) is a world leader in English language programming. Since 2009, ILAC has offered scholarships for women from around the world.
Attention winners:
If you are one of the finalists, please contact the ILAC partner agency where you received the letter of reference as soon as possible. If the finalists are candidates who have been refused a visa by the Canadian Government or who have not applied for the application date, alternate candidates will be contacted by ILAC and their agency.
