Justin Zelnicker chose the Employment Relations program because of the “great excitement and constant intrigue” of learning about work “as both a participant in this world and a student of it.” His interest was sparked by “how interdisciplinary the program was, and how practical the courses seemed to be.”
Justin is the 2018 recipient of the HRPA (Human Resources Professional Association) Scholarship for U of T St George. Winners are selected based on their academic accomplishments, their leadership abilities, and their commitment to excellence in the field of Human Resources. James McVittie, Chair of the HRPA Toronto Chapter Scholarship Committee, noted the time and care Justin invested in constructing his application, and wished Justin “every success in his future endeavors.”
Justin will be invited to an HRPA Toronto Chapter event to be formally recognized for his receipt of the scholarship, which includes a complementary one-year HRPA student membership, and an opportunity to participate in the HRPA Conference.
The goal of the HRPA Scholarship Program is to build bridges with Ontario’s leading post-secondary institutions and to recognize academic excellence and the leadership of individuals working towards launching a career in the human resource field. After running for a number of years, the HRPA Scholarship program officially ended on October 31, 2018. McVittie noted that many members of the Committee have been with it since its inception, and that they hope it will be reinstated at a future date.
A 4th year student in the IHRH major program with minors in Urban Studies and Sociology, Justin works as a research assistant with Centre Director Rafael Gomez and is co-president of the Employment Relations Student' Association (ERSA).
Justin says he’s always put a lot of value in student government. “I see involvement in student affairs and taking the time to constantly find ways to represent the interests of my peers as a rewarding duty to undertake.” He says, “my involvement in student government has given me the opportunity to interact with others except with the added bonus of trying to enhance the student experience.”
After graduation and a year of travel through Europe and Asia, Justin hopes to return to the Centre to pursue his MIRHR.
I'm so incredibly grateful to have received this HRPA scholarship, and I just wanted to thank Professor Rafael Gomez for volunteering to be my reference and inspiring me to take a leap into this field of study and Silvia Cocolo for always keeping us undergraduate students informed with your helpful emails about amazing opportunities such as this one!