Junior Achievement Awards Student Excellence (Gallery)

A number of secondary students have been awarded for their involvement with Junior Achievement's Company Program.

On Thursday, in front of around 200 attendees at the John D. Bradley Convention Centre, students from Windsor, Sarnia and Chatham were acknowledged for their hard work and determination during an Evening of Excellence.

The student-built cook book company Cooking with Kent took home the ultimate award for Company of the Year. Company President Kelsey Zimmer says it's a great feeling.

"That's been our main goal during our entire cycle," she says. "I have to say that all of my team members are amazing and I wouldn't have been able to do this without them."

A variety of awards were presented to individual participants and to student-built companies. Students were also awarded local and national bursaries worth up to $7,500.

The Next Generation Leadership Forum winners (Saba Siddiqui, Jacklyn Janssen and Cody Benito) stand with Barb Smith, the president of Junior Achievement Southwestern Ontario (far left), during Junior Achievement's Evening of Excellence at the John D. Bradley Convention Centre in Chatham, May 7, 2015. (Photo courtesy of Katy Uher)

Austin Hutton won the award for first year Achiever of the Year during Junior Achievement's Evening of Excellence at the John D. Bradley Convention Centre in Chatham, May 7, 2015. (Photo courtesy of Katy Uher)

Members of the student-built cook book company Cooking with Kent took home the ultimate award for Company of the Year during Junior Achievement's Evening of Excellence at the John D. Bradley Convention Centre in Chatham, May 7, 2015. (Photo courtesy of Katy Uher)