L to R: Rob McEwan, SVP, Alison George SVP (retired), Daniel Tisch, President and CEO, and Roanne Argyle, SVP.

Supporting diversity in public relations
The Argyle PR/Alison George Scholarship

"Being able to use knowledge, strength, energy or time to help other people or an organization adds so much positivity to life," says Alison George, a long-time Program Advisory Committee member for Humber's Bachelor of Public Relations program.

It's fitting, then, that a scholarship recognizing those involved in their local community would be named in honour of Alison, who is an example of volunteerism and community service, as well as career success.

Until her recent retirement, Alison was a PR executive at Argyle Communications, one of North America’s largest and most acclaimed independent communications and engagement firms. In recognition of her contributions to Humber College and to her three decades of leadership in the Canadian public relations industry—most recently, at Argyle Communications—Argyle has gifted Humber with the support of a generous scholarship for the next three years.

The Argyle PR/Alison George Scholarship will be granted to a first-year Bachelor of Public Relations student who self-identifies as a racialized person, and who is involved in their local community and passionate about community leadership. It will support this student for the balance of their Bachelor of Public Relations degree. 

Daniel Tisch, President of Argyle Communications, says, "The scholarship reflects both Alison's achievements and our shared commitment to this profession’s future. Argyle has always been committed to raising standards, sharing knowledge, strengthening our professional community, and practising public relations in the public interest. We believe volunteer leadership is an essential avenue to do all these things." 

In addition to honouring Alison’s volunteer leadership as an advisor to Humber, the scholarship recognizes her achievements at the PR firm. "For 17 years, Alison has been a purpose-driven leader at a purpose-driven firm—a person who has set the highest standards of quality and ethics—and that’s worth honouring. She has been a manager and mentor to a full generation of Argylers—helping us build one of the most diverse teams in the industry. Argyle’s exceptional diversity has made our thinking broader, our strategies sharper and our culture stronger."

The program coordinator of Humber's Bachelor of PR program, Anne Marie Males, echoes his praise. "Alison has been instrumental in shaping our Bachelor of Public Relations program into the career-focussed, industry-leading program that it is. Her pragmatism ensured that students were focussed on real-world skills that would prepare them for careers in public relations.  At the same time, she loved doing a deep dive into the theoretical and encouraged deeper, big-picture thinking whenever possible.”

For Alison, helping others comes naturally. "I find volunteering very gratifying. It just feels right." 

Even in retirement, she continues to share her insights with the next generation of diverse PR students. "My advice to young professionals is to seek out opportunities that put a spark in their engines. They should think about their own personal motivators—which are different for everyone—and aim for careers that satiate their own personal needs over time."

Through Humber’s industry partners, program advisory committee members, and donors, students can get the support they need and embark on exciting careers after graduation. We are extremely grateful for the contributions of Argyle and Alison as we work to ensure that our Humber community is increasingly diverse, inclusive, and successful.

This scholarship is part of Argyle’s commitment to the Impression Campaign, a Call to Action aimed at creating scholarships to help attract and retain racialized students to the college’s Bachelor of Public Relations program. To learn more about the Impression Campaign, click here.