Syntax Strategic announces the winners of a new award for students at Algonquin College 

Syntax Strategic and Algonquin College are pleased to announce the 2023 recipients of the Syntax Strategic Award: Alexander Humilde and Stacey Johnstone. Humilde and Johnstone are the first recipients of this annual award, created last year by Syntax Strategic, a nationally recognized communications, marketing, and public relations agency based in Ottawa, to support two students in their final year of studies. Each student will receive $5,000 plus a paid summer internship. 

Through this award, Syntax Strategic is investing $50,000 in the next generation of talent in partnership with Algonquin College and in response to a lack of diversity in communications agencies. The goal of the award is to create a pipeline of diverse talent from programs such as communications, marketing, and design with an emphasis on increasing the participation of Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) students in the public relations field.  

CEO and founder of Syntax Strategic Jennifer Stewart is thrilled by the high quality of candidates in the running for the award this year.

“Through this award, we have the absolute privilege of helping talented students find their footing in the public relations field,” she says. “We were blown away by the impressive set of candidates that were put forward for the award, and we are incredibly excited by the opportunity to support Alexander and Stacey as they launch their careers.”  

To apply for the award, applicants were required to submit a one-page essay on how they will apply the skills they developed in their program in the workforce, their career goals, and the steps they will take to achieve them. In addition, they submitted a portfolio of their work and two reference letters. 

Alexander Humilde is an emerging art director and filmmaker, and a soon-to-be graduate of the Advertising and Marketing Communications Management program at Algonquin College. Humilde’s references remarked on his talent, tenacity, humility, love of learning, and ambition. Humilde was thrilled to learn he had won, saying, “This award is invaluable for people like me that just want the same opportunities as the next person. I can’t wait to show the industry what I can bring to the table.” 

Stacey Johnstone is a First Nations Anishinaabe kwe and a proud member of the Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Point. She is a third-year graphic design student with six years of post-secondary experience in creative visual arts and design. She has a strong love for visually communicating ideas, collaborating with motivated and creative people, developing inclusive and accessible designs, and raising awareness towards positive change. Johnstone is excited by the opportunity to intern at Syntax. “This award will allow me to collaborate alongside professionals with diverse skill sets, improve my visual and communication skills through stakeholder engagement, and gain work experience to utilize the techniques that I have acquired as a student from Algonquin College,” she says. 

Algonquin College has more than 50 years of experience educating, training, upskilling, and reskilling students and workers for the careers of today and tomorrow. Stewart has seen first-hand the proven practical and hands-on technical skills Algonquin College students and graduates bring to the table. She is pleased that the impressive results of the award in its inaugural year offer further proof that Algonquin College was the right choice for the exclusive award. 

About Algonquin College 

The mission of The Algonquin College of Applied Arts and Technology is to transform hopes and dreams into lifelong success. Algonquin College, an Ontario public sector community college, does this by offering hands-on, digitally connected, experiential learning in more than 185 programs. Based in the Ottawa Valley, Algonquin College is the largest polytechnic institute in Eastern Ontario. 

About Syntax Strategic 

Founded in 2010 by President and CEO Jennifer Stewart, Syntax is a full-service firm specializing in media relations, strategic communications, marketing, design, policy, and public affairs. Syntax has worked with a broad range of clients, including several national and international clients in government, academia, non-profit, and the private sector covering topics that span health sciences, health advocacy, social impact, development, cleantech, governance, and more.