Toronto High School Student and Community Leader Named 2020 Recipient of Meridian's Sean Jackson Scholarship

TORONTO, Sept. 1, 2020 /CNW/ - Meridian, Ontario's largest credit union and second largest in Canada, is proud to name Scarborough resident Mahir Hamid as the 2020 recipient of the Meridian Sean Jackson Scholarship. 

Launched in honour of Meridian's former CEO Sean Jackson, an avid community leader, the scholarship awards $10,000 to one Ontario high school student who demonstrates both academic excellence and an outstanding commitment to community.

"Mahir's motivation to lead, innovate and create impact has defined his secondary school achievements, earmarking him as a trailblazer," says David Moore, Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President Retail Banking, Meridian. "We're very proud of this year's scholarship recipient, a passionate advocate of inclusivity in his community and a catalyst for positive change."

His early experiences as a young immigrant – arriving in Canada at six years old – inspired Mahir to found the Bloor Multicultural Initiative, a coalition of students that tackle cultural adversity through awareness events. The coalition created The World Tour at Bloor – a multicultural week consisting of empowering learning opportunities, including a film festival and cultural showcase. Topics including Islamophobia, LGBTQ+ youth, and systemic racism were openly addressed through speaker workshops.

Mahir has also been working on developing solutions to help the immigrant and refugee community with technology. He has created Echo, an app to help newcomers improve their English verbal communication skills.

"My ultimate goal is to translate knowledge from inside the classroom into solutions that solve pressing community issues," says Mahir Hamid. "I am truly honoured to be a recipient of Meridian's Sean Jackson Scholarship and hope that my experience will inspire other young people to take action and make a meaningful difference in the world."

The MCC Sean Jackson Scholarship award will support Mahir's education at Queens University, where he will pursue a degree in Commerce, with the goal of furthering his passion for social innovation and entrepreneurship.

Meridian's Sean Jackson Scholarship is administered in partnership with the Niagara Community Foundation. The annual call for applications from Ontario high school graduates for next year starts March 1, 2021. To watch a video about Mahir and for more information about the Sean Jackson Scholarship, visit: http://www.meridiancu.ca/scholarship.

About Meridian

With more than 75 years of banking history, Meridian is Ontario's largest credit union and the second largest in Canada, helping to grow the lives of 370,000 Members and customers. Meridian has $26 billion in assets under management (as at June 30, 2020) and delivers a full range of financial services online, by phone, by mobile and through a network of 92 branches across Ontario, and business banking services in 15 locations. Meridian Members also have access to THE EXCHANGE® Network, with more than 3,600 no-fee ABMs across Canada and 500,000 ABMs in the United States. For more information, please visit: www.meridiancu.ca, follow us on Twitter @MeridianCU or see our Facebook site.

SOURCE Meridian Credit Union

Teresa Pagnutti, Senior Manager, Public Relations, Meridian, 416-597-4444 Ext. 2667