Students
HEC Montréal PhD student receives Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers
July 15, 2026
Jason Rivest, a PhD student at HEC Montréal, received the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers during an official ceremony held on June 25, 2026 at Rideau Hall in Ottawa.
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Credit
Photo credit: Master Sailor Anne-Marie Brisson, Rideau Hall © OSGG, 2026.
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Jason Rivest and the Governor General of Canada, Louise Arbour.
This medal, which was presented to him by Louise Arbour, Governor General of Canada, is the highest recognition in the Canadian honours system dedicated to volunteerism. It recognizes individuals who have made a significant, sustained and unpaid contribution to the well-being of their communities in Canada or abroad.
“I am delighted to receive this award recognizing my volunteer commitment. It is my belief that I can, in my own small way, improve my community and set an example that will encourage people to serve the community by sharing their time and skills. We must all work towards a fairer future.”
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Jason Rivest
Outstanding commitment to serving the community
Jason Rivest has distinguished himself through his numerous and sustained volunteer commitments, having dedicated over 10,000 hours to his endeavors in recent years.
He has been notably involved with school-based co-operatives (Coopsco), his Caisse Desjardins, the Simulation du Parlement européen Canada-Québec-Europe (SPECQUE) [Simulation of the European Parliament Canada Quebec Europe], the Quebec, Canadian and international cooperative and mutualist sectors, as well as several NPOs such as the Maison des jeunes de Crabtree, Citoyenneté Jeunesse and many others.
By offering his expertise and time, the PhD student’s admirable involvement and demonstrable leadership qualities are highly appreciated.
In addition to this latest honour, he has received several other distinctions in recent years, including:
- The Canada Volunteer Award (Emerging Leader category);
- The Hommage bénévolat-Québec Award (Young Volunteer – Claude-Masson Award category);
- The Ordre du Mérite coopératif et mutualiste québécois (2nd Degree);
- The Emerging Co-operator Award from Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada;
- The Emerging Administrator of the Year Award from the Regroupement des jeunes chambres de commerce du Québec.
Jason Rivest is currently pursuing his doctoral studies at HEC Montréal. His research focuses on cooperative models and is being conducted at the Alphonse and Dorimène Desjardins International Institute for Cooperatives (IICADD), under the supervision of professors Rafael Ziegler and Justine Ballon.
