École Polytechnique has honoured a young female engineering student from Manitoba just days before the 28th anniversary of the 1989 massacre that claimed 14 lives.
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University of Manitoba graduate Ella Thomson received the Order of the White Rose in a ceremony in Montreal Friday.
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She received a $30,000 scholarship as well as a necklace and 14 white roses in memory of the young women who were killed on Dec. 6, 1989.
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The award was created in 2014 and is presented annually to a female student who wants to continue her studies in engineering.
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Thomson, 21, said learning about the massacre was a powerful reminder of the violence women in non-traditional fields have faced.
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The Winnipeg native is now studying for a PhD at Stanford University in California, where she hopes to mentor young girls who want to enter the technical fields.