Four Indigenous university students from Quesnel have been awarded scholarships from the Irving K. Barber British Columbia Scholarship Society.
Olivia Baptiste and Telise Gauthier, who attend the University of British Columbia; Breanne Nyquist, who attends the University of Northern British Columbia; and Megan Poole, who attends Thompson Rivers University, have each received awards. Baptiste, Gauthier and Nyquist have received undergraduate awards, while Poole has received a B.C. Indigenous Teacher Education Award.
In total, 470 Indigenous students in B.C. have been awarded $1.5 million from the society to support their studies at post-secondary institutions throughout the province.
The Society’s Indigenous Awards program is funded from the returns on an endowment fund established by the Province of British Columbia. It was created to assist in removing barriers to higher education for Indigenous peoples. Awards of $1,000 to $5,000 each are issued every year through a competitive process to students studying at all post-secondary levels, from trades training to doctoral programs.
“Congratulations to this year’s recipients … I am so proud to see so many Indigenous students advancing their aspirations and dreams through higher education,” said Melanie Mark, Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training. “Almost eighty percent of future careers will require post-secondary training. Our government is deeply committed to breathing life into the Calls to Action on reconciliation by supporting pathways and opening doors of opportunity for Indigenous learners. Together we are going to build the best B.C.”
READ MORE: Quesnel student wins COFI scholarship
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