2022 Winners of John Pitre Scholarships for Architectural Technology Students

When students of the Vanier College Architectural Technology Program gathered on May 25th for an End-of-Year BBQ, they were celebrating their own accomplishments and those of three Architectural Technology students who won the 2022 John Pitre Scholarships. Congratulations to Isabella Rado Rinaldo, the 3rd year student with the most improved grades who was awarded $1100, and to Mihaela Mereoara and Alexandra Valluzzi who tied for 2nd year students with the strongest grades, each receiving $600. (Photo L to R: Alexandra Valluzzi, Mihaela Mereoara, Isabella Rado Rinaldo).

The scholarships are offered by John Pitre, a Vanier graduate and long-time supporter of the Architectural Technology Program. John was deeply marked by his studies at Vanier and after completing university studies started a business in British Columbia. John says that it was thanks to Vanier that he discovered his passion in life, which led to a very successful career in the building industry.

In 2011, seeking to inspire students and to give back to Vanier, he created two scholarships. For John, having strong grades is a great achievement, but equally important is improvement. One of his scholarships is specifically aimed at rewarding a student with the most improvement over the course of their studies. Over the years, John has donated $20,000 in scholarships and support to the Vanier College Architectural Technology Department.

“I try to come back to Vanier every two years, and it was wonderful to finally be able to see graduates in person once again after a multi-year interruption due to Covid,” said John. His pleasure and pride in still being associated with Vanier and in supporting young people starting out in life is evident from his broad smile when talking with students. And if he feels inspired by the latest cohort of graduating students, it’s also clear that his faith in their abilities and his desire to reward their efforts motivates them as well.

John was pleasantly surprised when program graduate Gianfranco Caputo took the microphone and spoke about how humbled he was to receive the John Pitre scholarship in 2018. For Gianfranco, the award gave him the motivation to excel and persevere in the field of architecture. Gianfranco had the honour of announcing this year’s winners.

“The end-of-year BBQ is a momentous occasion for our department,” added Michael Lancione, department coordinator of Architectural Technology. “It’s an honour to have John participate today, particularly since the event was paused during the pandemic.”

“This event is a department tradition and milestone for our students, particularly those that are graduating,” added Andrea Pukteris, academic coordinator. “John is an integral part of the event, and we’re thrilled that he was able to return this year, after we’ve had to pause the event for so long.”