Scholarship student graduates with Bachelor of Science degree

I can remember when the scholarship was first offered, I was in Tahayghen Elementary School in Masset, with thoughts of university already dancing in my head.  I knew it was something I would strive for. I never would have thought that, one day, I would be a recipient; I can remember the day I received the call like it was yesterday. Hearing Beverley’s voice on speaker phone was absolutely surreal. It is hard to believe that I have completed my Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing and psychology minor at Hawaii Pacific University. It has been an exhilarating experience living and continuing my education in Hawaii.

I have been blessed with such an amazing experience. I was apart of a culturally diverse university that allowed me to become more culturally aware and feel a lot more like a citizen of the world. I grew as a young girl from a small isolated community into a strong, passionate, and ambitious aboriginal woman looking forward to all of my future challenges and endeavors. The confidence that has grown through accomplishing my degree with the never wandering support I have received from my community, family, friends, and the Fernandez Earle Scholarship Foundation has opened up many doors and showed me I can do anything I set my mind to.

This scholarship is an amazing opportunity for the students of Haida Gwaii. I have seen it inspire many students to pursue a post-secondary education. The scholarship encourages all students to work harder in secondary school, they start to see all of the opportunities that are available to them. I can only hope that I will make as big of an impact on peoples’ lives as this scholarship has on mine in my career as a nurse I now feel as if the world is at my fingertips. Everything feels like it is within reach. I will forever be thankful to the Fernandez Earle Scholarship Foundation, its committee members, and generous donators.

To applicants, new recipients, and continuing students, remember that nothing is impossible.

Leigh-Anna Marks

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My name is Leigh-Anna Marks and I was the privileged recipient of the Fernandez Earle Scholarship for the year 2007. I have completed my sophomore year of university and am finishing my prerequisites for my nursing major. The plan for next year is to start nursing clinicals. When I graduate from Hawai’i Pacific University, my goal is to proceed with honors with a major in nursing and a minor in psychology. Eventually my long term goal is to work as a nursing practitioner specializing in pediatrics in Northern British Columbia.

I would like to extend my sincere gratitude towards the Fernandez Earle Scholarship Foundation for their generosity in funding my education. Without this scholarship, I would be not have had access to the unique opportunities and experiences that this experience has provided for me to grow as a person. I left my home in the Haida Gwaii as a basic Canadian High School graduate and will be returning one day to my community as an internationally educated University graduate. I am eager to proceed in life and cannot wait until I can give back to my community as a health professional. Without this scholarship I would not have had access to the unique opportunities that this experience has provided to me to grow as a person. Thank you to all who have contributed to this scholarship and my hope is that the Fernandez Earle Scholarship will continue to provide this amazing education experience to fuure Haida Gwaii residents.