Four students recognized for their exemplary social involvement
Lieutenant Governor’s Youth Medals
May 11, 2021
Four members of the HEC Montréal student community have received Lieutenant Governor’s Youth Medals, a decoration that recognizes sustained volunteer involvement or an inspiring attitude with a positive influence on society.
Donia Arfaoui is a Bachelor’s in Business Administration (BBA) student specializing in Professional Accounting. For several years she has been a very active volunteer, working to help vulnerable people including refugees and seniors and to increase public awareness of their situation. For instance, since 2018 she has served as a refugee rights ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Forum Jeunesse de Saint-Michel (FJSM). She has also represented the FJSM at public hearings held by the Commission on racial profiling and systemic discrimination of the Office de consultation publique de Montréal. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Donia co-founded an initiative called Petite Pensée pour toi, consisting of sending encouraging messages, letters, drawings, photos or videos to seniors in CHSLDs or seniors’ residences.
Amy Guyon de Chemilly is working toward her BBA. During her time at HEC Montréal she has been involved in a wide range of projects, groups and student committees with social missions. Her engagement is a sign of her desire to help others, both here and in other lands. In 2018 she took part in a humanitarian mission to Mexico. That same year, she co-ordinated the fundraising drive by her BBA group to help the Fondation Charles-Bruneau for research in pediatric oncology. One of her initiatives was Projet Trousses, aimed at easing the financial stress of student parents at HEC Montréal by helping them obtain school supplies for their children. She also co-founded the Hévidance committee at HEC Montréal, which promotes future managers’ personal development and self-confidence through dance and movement. Lastly, she co-ordinated the mentorship program for students in the HEC Montréal preparatory year in the 2020 fall term, to help international students integrate and overcome their isolation.
Nawel Ouchene is also on her way to earning her BBA. She has been actively engaged since her teenage years, and wants to be involved with young people, especially young women, to inspire them to get involved and fulfil their dreams. She is part of the network of Algerian-Quebec businesswomen, which works to boost women’s role in the business world. During the pandemic she organized Les Paniers pleins, a service offering food supplies to seniors living alone in apartment buildings. In 2020 she was voted Miss Québec 2020, out of 5,000 candidates in the province, because of the way she stood out in this personality competition intended to push young women to have confidence in themselves, to support and respect one another and develop in all fields. In fact, as a candidate in this competition, she travelled to Algeria to collect materials for orphans in an Algerian state institution. She also took part in a fundraising campaign with Opération Enfant Soleil. Nawel is very active in sports, and serves as a volunteer coach in co-operation with a number of sports studios.
Simon Veilleux is enrolled in the MSc in Management and Sustainable Development program at HEC Montréal. The projects he has adopted since starting his university studies illustrate his interest in furthering social justice, environmental protection and youth development. For example, he is a climate ambassador for the Climate Reality Project, where one of his tasks is to give talks to boost public awareness of climate issues. He also helps to develop young peoples’ engagement in public policy issues, through his work in organizing Rencontres Maîtres chez vous, an annual youth symposium. In addition, Simon serves as the treasurer on the board of Lab22, a non-profit organization with the goal of finding innovative solutions to social and environmental issues in Quebec society. Lastly, during a study internship, he developed an impact strategy for Upcycli, a social enterprise working to reduce waste in clothing.
