Since our scholarship program first began in 2014, BluEarth has awarded nearly $95,000 to post-secondary students in Canada.
Our scholarship program is an important part of our commitment to giving back to the communities where we live, work and operate. In addition to financial support, this scholarship offers a unique opportunity for recipients to be paired with a BluEarth learning partner for the academic year to provide support and mentorship, while learning more about renewable energy.
Meet our 2022/23 scholarship recipients below.
Recipient of the Indigenous Peoples Scholarship
Ella Johnson
My name is Ella Johnson, and I am a first-generation Indigenous student studying at the University of Calgary (U of C). I am in my second year of a unique program where I can study mechanical engineering and business simultaneously. Receiving this scholarship from BluEarth is an incredible opportunity for me. I have taken on roles that enable me to improve my community, such as Co-Chair of the Diversity Advocacy Committee, Sponsorship Commissioner with the Engineering Students’ Society, and am active in my local Air Cadet squadron. With this generous assistance, I am able to center my focus on my two younger sisters, my education, and my community work, rather than the financial burden associated with higher education.
I intend to use my education toward renewable energy and environmental stewardship. By engineering using traditional ways of Indigenous life as a basis for my projects, I seek to provide representation. In my career, I would like to provide reserves with clean drinking water and provide barrier-free access to financial services and education. Receiving this award enables me to connect with the base principle of environmental stewardship – community. Ethical engineering involves creating equality and not harming others, and I intend to fulfill my role and improve the lives of Canadian Indigenous Peoples.
Once again, I am incredibly grateful to BluEarth Renewables for this opportunity. Receiving this award allows me to continue to create a tangible positive impact within my community.
Recipient of the Indigenous Peoples Scholarship
Carmen Poitras
My name is Carmen Poitras and I am a third year student in the Masters of Distance Education and Technology program at the University of Athabasca. I decided to specialize in the field because of my story. I was the first person in my family to attend a post-secondary school. University was located four hours from my reserve. First Nation communities are often deprived when it comes to education. Students are financially disadvantaged due to poor educational structures, supplies, lack of funding, and politics. Technology is providing us with tools to help solve certain problems in Indigenous communities, such as learning how to renew resources. There is a need for K-12 educational institutions to introduce hybrid learning delivery models that integrate technology into classrooms.
Indigenous youth are not pursuing post-secondary education because of a lack of opportunities available for them upon graduation. There is a need for more Indigenous scientists, doctors, and engineers to sustain First Nation communities over time. People living on segregated reservations in Canada are candidates for distance learning. Distance learning is an alternative for people living in remote areas. There are few post-secondary schools located near remote Indigenous communities forcing learners to relocate or face long commutes. Many Indigenous people have migrated to escape poor economic conditions, attain education, and seek employment opportunities. Modern technology is allowing Indigenous students to remain in their community while obtaining a post-secondary education.
Going back to school was a big decision for me and my family, it meant we would have to make sacrifices and change the way we lived. When I was accepted into the program I was excited but at the same time I was worried about finances so I started applying for scholarships to offset costs. People don’t really think about the emotional aspect of education, to be stressed out, worry about finances especially when you do not have support from your community due to budget restraints. I am the only person my kids can depend on, so it is important for me to finish my schooling so I can be a role model to them and other Indigenous youth. Awarding me this scholarship tells me I am on the right path, and you also believe there is a knowledge gap and Indigenous people are being left behind. Thank you on behalf of me and my three children.
Recipient of the Indigenous Peoples Scholarship
Katrina Reimer
My name is Katrina Reimer and I am Cree from Attawapiskat First Nation. Currently, I am completing my first year of Engineering and Applied Science at Queen’s University. I am incredibly grateful to be a recipient of the BluEarth Renewables’ Indigenous Peoples
scholarship.
As a little girl, I was very close with my father. I would tag along to hydro dam openings and water-power conferences. This sparked an interest in renewable energy that is beginning to come to fruition.
My main motivator for pursuing renewable energy is my community. I come from a long line of women that demonstrated resilience throughout their hardships. I have learned to be hardworking and adaptable. I am lucky to have the opportunity to be the first university student in my family and translate these skills into an academic setting. Indigenous communities need to be a part of the conversation surrounding renewable energy and I am working towards being a voice.
Not only does this scholarship allow me to properly focus on my academics by relieving financial burdens, but the opportunity to be connected with a mentor within the renewable energy sector comes with immense benefits. Continuing to look forward, I strive to see future generations live in a sustainable world. I want to thank BluEarth Renewables for supporting this dream.
Recipient of the Community Leaders Scholarship
Jordan Dearsley
Hi! I’m a first-year environmental engineering student from Winnipeg, Manitoba in the joint program at the University of Northern British Columbia and the University of British Columbia. I’m so grateful for the funding from the BluEarth Renewables scholarship. This will enable me to focus on my schooling and continue my passion for volunteering. In engineering, we have a heavy course load that makes it very difficult to work so this scholarship has really alleviated the financial stress from this.
I’m passionate about climate change as well as girl empowerment. In the past few years, I have held multiple volunteer roles with Girl Guides of Canada, volunteered with various school service groups, and ran electronics recycling drives to keep e-waste out of landfills to name a few. My hope is to use my education to continue working on ending climate change as well as bringing girls into engineering. I love to create my own service projects and this funding will enable me to spend time working on these projects. I am currently working on increasing native plants in the communities I live in in order to increase carbon sequestration.
I decided to go into environmental engineering after learning about renewable energy when I was 12. I had just learned about climate change and wanted to learn how I could take action against it. Environmental engineering has always felt like the best way I could do that. My hope is to be able to work on improving renewable energy technology so that I can help to create a sustainable future for all.
Recipient of the Renewable Energy Trades Scholarship
Elizabeth Lytwyn
My name is Lizzy and I am the recipient of the BluEarth Renewables’ Energy Scholarship. I am currently taking the Wind Turbine Technician Program at the Lethbridge College. My plan is somewhat challenging in that I am 42 years old and wanting to start a new career. I had been working in healthcare for many years and have raised six children.
The decision to start fresh with something new was not made easily but was made with excitement, and a little trepidation. I was living in central Alberta and sold or donated pretty much everything in order to make the move to Lethbridge. I packed up what was left into a 5X8 trailer and drove to Lethbridge. Sadly, I was unable to obtain a Student Loan and therefore have to work full time to pay for school, while I am going to school. The Wind Turbine program is intense and difficult but failure is not an option! After graduating, I plan to relocate to an alluring part of the world and apply my trade in the wind energy sector.
Receiving this scholarship is a ‘life saver’. It allows me to cut back work hours so I can concentrate more effort on the program. It relieves a lot of stress and has given me hope that this life changing path will be a successful one in the end, and well worth the sacrifice. Thanks so very much BluEarth Renewables for helping me obtain my dream of becoming a Wind Turbine Technician!
Recipient of the Renewable Energy Trades Scholarship
Sheldon Sawyer
My name is Sheldon Sawyer, I was born in Winnipeg Manitoba and have been living in southern Alberta for the last 8 years. I was involved in sports since a very young age and played high level hockey until my senior year of high school. Being involved in sports taught me how to be a part of a team, it also taught me about working hard and reaching for my goals. These skills have served me well as I continue my education and know they will be a benefit as I enter the work force post-graduation.
I am currently enrolled in the Wind Turbine Technician program at Lethbridge College with a graduation date of April 2023. Although wind is a relatively new industry, I will be a second-generation Wind Technician, with my father having a career in the wind industry for the last 17 years. The training I am receiving in the Wind Turbine Technician program will have me well prepared as I look to begin my career. I know that my new skills will make me a valuable asset to employers.
Receiving this scholarship helps me financially as I work to achieve my goals. I am looking to have a long career in wind energy and knowing that the education I am receiving is a great foundation to build upon. I want to thank BluEarth for selecting myself and other recipients to receive this generous scholarship.
Recipient of the Renewable Energy Trades Scholarship
Isaac Thomas
Hello, my name is Isaac Thomas. I am a 19-year-old student that attends Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne, Wyoming. I am a trades student in the Wind Energy Associates degree program. I am originally from Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania and I moved to Cheyenne to attain a degree in Wind Energy. I believe opportunity in this field is endless and that’s what intrigued me. I wanted a blue-collar job that was unique, and I think renewable energy is the future and I hold a passion for cleaner energy.
This scholarship means a lot to me, and I am extremely appreciative of being selected. I will use this scholarship to pay for my tuition and further my academic studies. I am set to graduate in May of 2023. After graduation I would like to be a Wind Service Technician somewhere in Wyoming, Colorado, or wherever the opportunity arises. I am extremely happy and grateful for BluEarth’s Renewable Energy Trades Scholarship. Thank you.