Last week the Prince Albert Wildlife Federation presented a pair of $500 to two worthy post secondary students, Keara Meeks and Brooklyn Knodel.Meeks, who is graduating from Ecole St. Mary High School, said she’s grateful to receive support from an organization that’s been a big part of her life.
“My family’s been included in the Wildlife Federation for a really long time,” Meeks said. “We came out for a fish fries, and I’ve just been really involved in the Wildlife Federation.”Meeks heard about the scholarship from Doug Erickson of the Wildlife Federation and her grandfather.She plans to attend the University of Saskatchewan to study Biomedical Science. The scholarship will help her accentuate work she has already done saving for university.“I’m going to school so it’s going to be expensive,” she said. “I’ve been working for the past four years since Grade 9 saving up money so I can eat next year, so I can survive. I’m just going hoping to use this for towards my tuition or books or whatever I need it for.”The other recipient Brooklyn Knodel graduated three years ago and has found her career. She’s been working at a law firm for the past two years as a legal assistant, but has returned to school for her law degree.“I just finished my first year,” she said. “I’m paying for all my schooling on my own, so my dad sends me every scholarship opportunity (saying) ‘you should apply for this, you should apply for this,’ and I’ve been part of the Wildlife Federation for a while.”Knodel graduated in 2020 the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic and Meeks is a member of the graduating class that was in Grade 9 when the pandemic began.Knodel and Meeks also used to work together, so the cheque presentation acted as a mini-reunion.Blair Haarstad the chair of the Scholarship program, said that each year the program gives two scholarships for $500.The unique situation with the scholarship this year is part of how the program is meant to operate. Applicants can be entering post-secondary or currently in post-secondary to be eligible.Haarstad said they get a number of applications, but it can depend on how many members are graduatingAccording to Haarstad, they’ve presented nearly $10,000 in scholarships over the past decade. He said it was another way for the Federation to give back to the community.“We’ve talked about it for years and then we actually got on it and got it going,” Haarstad said.michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca
