Six students from Surrey were among 117 B.C. aboriginal students granted a total of $311,500 by the Irving K. Barber British Columbia Scholarship Society.
The six students are Douglas College attendee Amanda McLaughlin, James Dekker, who attends Kwantlen Polytechnic University, University of British Columbia students Calvin Buchanan and Daniel Mikl, and Vancouver Community College student Gloria Wilson (one UBC student’s name was withheld).
Funded from the returns on a $10-million endowment fund established by the province in 2007 to improve aboriginal achievement and access to education, the B.C. Aboriginal Student Awards range from $1,000 to $3,500. They are awarded annually to aboriginal students pursuing post-secondary education in B.C.
The society works with the Victoria Foundation to provide scholarships to students attending public post-secondary institutions throughout the province and internationally.
To date, the society has awarded more than $3.8 million from its scholarship programs.
“It’s part of our commitment to ensuring access to education for deserving students from throughout the province,” said society chairman Hugh Gordon.
