"Jessica has demonstrated excellent communication and analytical skills," wrote Jean-Christophe Peters in a letter nominating her for this award. "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.

"The Empowerment scholarship is designed to provide an opportunity that otherwise may not be accessible to women in the industry," commented Kim Dumais, Women in Stone co-chair.

"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. "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," she said.

To learn more about Women in Stone, visit www.naturalstoneinstitute.org/womeninstone.