Four local aboriginal students were among the 117 recipients province-wide of B.C. Aboriginal Student Award scholarships.
The scholarships are awarded by the Irving K. Barber B.C. Scholarship Society, with more than $300,000 granted this year.
Maple Ridge’s Jessica Barton, Kelly Soros, Corinna Miller, and Melinda Mack were each named recipients.
Barton will be attending the University of Victoria; Soros will be attending the University of British Colombia; Miller will be attending Thompson Rivers University; and Mack will be attending Simon Fraser University.
The scholarships are funded from the returns on a $10 million endowment fund established by the province in 2007 as part of its strategy to improve aboriginal achievement and access to education. Awards of $1,000 to $3,500 are given annually to aboriginal students pursuing post-secondary education in B.C.
“Through the Irving K. Barber B.C. Scholarship Society, we are supporting aboriginal learners to take post-secondary education and training so they’re ready to fill the jobs of tomorrow, which is an important part of the B.C. Jobs Plan,” said Naomi Yamamoto, minister of Advanced Education.
The Irving K. Barber B.C. Scholarship Society provides 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 six scholarship programs.
• To make a donation or to find out more about the B.C. Aboriginal Student Award, visit www.bcscholarship.ca/web/.