AEF CAMPAIGN CONNECTION
WHERE NUMBERS MEET PEOPLE
She recently became an advisor to AEF and will share ideas with the board of directors on how the foundation can better connect with Aboriginal communities. One of the goals in the foundation’s new business plan is to provide more financial support to groups that are underrepresented in the engineering and geoscience professions, including young women and Aboriginals. AEF plans to do this by increasing the number of bursaries available to these groups. APPLY NOW University tuitions continue to climb and many engineering and geoscience students graduate with hefty debts. One of the goals of the APEGA Education Foundation (AEF) is to help ease this financial burden so students can focus on their education. Applications are open now, and the deadline to apply is July 31. WHAT’S AVAILABLE? • Undergraduate Bursaries. Five bursaries of $5,000 each will be awarded to undergraduate students studying engineering or geoscience at Mount Royal University, the University of Alberta, or the University of Calgary. Awards are based primarily on financial need, but non- academic accomplishments are also factored in. • APEGA Education Foundation/Enbridge Aboriginal Bursary. One bursary of $5,000 will be awarded to a First Nations student from Treaties 6, 7, or 8 studying engineering at the University of Alberta or the University of Calgary. Awards are based primarily on financial need, but non-academic accomplishments are also factored in. • Alex Hemstock Bursary. One bursary of $5,000 will be awarded to an engineering graduate student in any discipline at the University of Alberta or the University of Calgary. The award is based primarily on financial need.
In high school, Ms. Johnson originally wanted to be a doctor. But she switched focus when she learned about biomedical engineering in health class. “I always liked math and science and doing calculations — the more technical side. So engineering appealed to me more than being a doctor,” she explains. “When I’m working on a question or problem and crunching the numbers, it’s really rewarding to come up with the solution.” In May, she started a summer internship with Pembina Pipeline Corporation and was excited to put what she’s learned in school into practice. “It’s my first job, and I’m excited to be part of a team and see what working in an engineering environment will be like — learning what Professional Engineers do in industry.” While it may seem at odds with her desire to work in sustainable energy, the opportunity to gain experience and build skills working in oil and gas is actually quite a practical approach. “I understand that the oil and gas industry is important for many resources, and it’s unrealistic for people to assume that we can just stop using it cold turkey as an energy resource,” says Ms. Johnson. “We need to rely on it while we begin to make sustainable energy methods more universal.”
MORE INFO OR TO APPLY apegaeducationfoundation.ca scholarships@apega.ca
Other AEF-funded scholarships and bursaries are also available, by applying directly through Mount Royal University, the University of Alberta, or the University of Calgary.
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