Women in Stone Announces Empowerment Scholarship Winner Words: Terri BernerWomen in Stone has announced that the winner of the first-ever Women in Stone Empowerment Scholarship is Jessica Lussier of Granit Design. Jessica will receive an all-expense paid trip to TISE 2017 in January, where she will shadow industry professionals and participate in education sessions and networking events, including the MIA+BSI Awards Luncheon. Jessica has been employed in the stone industry for two and a half years. In her application, Jessica wrote: “Being in the stone industry has shown me how interesting a work day can really be. This is a constantly growing industry that I could never let go of.” In a letter nominating Jessica for this award, Jean-Christophe Peters wrote: “Jessica has demonstrated excellent communication and analytical skills. She’s charismatic, highly intelligent, and to qualify her as driven would be an understatement. She has limitless potential and is well on her way to realizing it.” The Women in Stone Empowerment Scholarship was created to help women gain a better understanding of different sectors of the industry. Kim Dumais, Women in Stone co-chair, commented: “The Empowerment Scholarship is designed to provide an opportunity that otherwise may not be accessible to women in the industry. The scholarship offers a unique opportunity to be personally guided, mentored, and exposed to all aspects of our industry.” Lussier looks forward to the opportunities awarded by this scholarship, saying: “I’m extremely grateful and plan to make the most of this opportunity and share my experience with my colleagues. Continuous growth is extremely important in this industry and Women in Stone is giving me a great opportunity to do so. This is the perfect opportunity for a go-getter, which is what the women in the stone industry are!” To learn more about Women in Stone, please visit www.naturalstoneinstitute.org/womeninstone.