Aboriginal Education Awards
Honouring Our Donors
School of Access & AECC Student Awards Ceremony, May, 2010
Funds from the Camosun College Foundation touch lives and help students meet their educational goals. Aboriginal Education Awards have been generously provided by special, visionary donors and organizations to help support Aboriginal students. We want our students to know a little about those who have been so supportive of their education.
Below are some of the donors that we would like to recognize.
The Allen and Loreen Vandekerkhove Family Foundation
The Vandekerkhove Family Foundation has been extremely generous to Aboriginal students at Camosun and to education overall. This family foundation is supporting the education of future health and human services care providers for our communities.
M'Akola Housing Society
In the late 1990's, M'Akola Housing Society decided to establish an award that would support urban Aboriginal people in their post-secondary endeavours. Since then this gift has helped many students. AECC was happy to take over administration of the award in 2008.
Mr. Art Howard
The Eulau Howard Memorial Award is AECC's oldest endowment. It was established in the late 1980's by Mr. Howard in memory of his late wife, Eulau. Mr. Howard was touched by an article he read in MacLean's Magazine and then by hearing Alex Nelson speak. He established this award to recognize the community generosity that is so often practiced amongst Aboriginal people.
Ms Winona Wood
Ms Wood was a university professor when there were very few female professors. She wanted to see women become independent and strong. She established what was originally the CENELELEN Award in 1995. After her passing, her family asked that the award name be changed to honour her memory.
Mr. Art Thompson (Tsa Qwa Supp)
The late Art Thompson cared deeply about education, his Nuu-chah-nulth people, and Camosun College. He was a residential school survivor who found himself as a learner at Camosun. At least six members of his immediate family are also Camosun alumni. Art established this award in 1999 to support Nuu-chah-nulth students who attend Camosun and who plan to use their education to lift up the Nuu-chah-nulth Nation and its people.
Mrs. Dorothy Price
Mrs. Dorothy Price recognized the needs of Aboriginal people who are seeking education to benefit their lives and their communities. In 1997, at her passing, she left an extraordinarily generous gift to Camosun College to support Aboriginal students. In many First Nations traditions there is a Treasure Box of precious gifts. To honour Mrs. Price's wishes, Camosun College has developed the Dorothy Price Treasure Box of Awards for First Nations students. The awards that have been established recognize the four parts of human beings: the intellectual; the physical; the spiritual; and the emotional. Her generosity has resulted in us being able to provide awards to about 20 Aboriginal students each year.
