NWAC Announces the Recipients of the 2012 Helen Bassett Commemorative Student Award

Ottawa, ON (September 13, 2012)—The Native Women’s Association of Canada is proud to announce the winners of the 2012 Helen Bassett Commemorative Student Award. The Helen Bassett Commemorative Student Award is an initiative that assists Aboriginal women who are enrolled in post-secondary education. The awards are made possible due to the generous donations of Helen Bassett who was driven to make a difference in Canada. She was an active supporter of equal rights for Aboriginal peoples and in particular those of Aboriginal women. In her selflessness, she specified the Native Women’s Association of Canada as one of the beneficiaries of her estate in her will, which has helped sustain the organization’s post-secondary student award program from 2003 until this day.

The Native Women’s Association of Canada is committed to supporting young Aboriginal women in their pursuit of post-secondary education. This year the Helen Bassett Commemorative Student Award Selection Committee received and reviewed 100 applications from Aboriginal women across Canada. We are pleased to announce four awards in the amount of $1,000.00 to the following outstanding young women:

Julia McGraw (WEST) Julia is an Alberta-Métis student who will be beginning Law school at the University of Calgary in September. Julia volunteers with children who have disabilities and her greater aboriginal community. Julia is committed to completing her law degree to improve the lives and opportunities of aboriginal people.

Elizabeth Zarpa (EAST) Elizabeth is an Inuit woman originally from Labrador. She recently completed an 8 week intensive program of legal studies for Native people at the University of Saskatchewan college of Law. Elizabeth begins her law degree in September at the University of Victoria. Elizabeth volunteers with national Inuit organizations and is working to bring the Inuit perspective to natural resource development in the north.

Claire Anderson (NORTH) Claire Anderson is a member of the Taku River First Nation and is from Whitehorse, Yukon. She is studying law at the University of British Columbia where she is the Vice-president of the Indigenous Law Students Association. Upon completion of her law degree, Claire would like to practice family law or natural resource law as both these areas affect aboriginal women.

Chrystal Desilets (SOUTH) Chrystal is an Algonquin woman of Pikwakanagan First Nation. She is studying aboriginal studies and introduction to law at Algonquin College in Ottawa, Ontario. Chrystal is an active volunteer in her community working with at risk aboriginal women and youth. Her goal is to complete a law degree to positively impact aboriginal families, beginning with her own.

 

For additional information:

Brittany Jones: Labour Market Development- Youth Coordinator

Native Women’s Association of Canada

1 Nicholas Street, 9th Floor Ottawa, ON K1N 7B7

613 722 3033 ext 238 OR 1 800 461 4043

bjones@nwac.ca

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