ApplyBoard is committed to breaking down barriers to education and being part of the change. That’s why on International Women’s Day 2021, we announced our STEM for Change Scholarship Program.
Our goal with STEM for Change is simple—we want to drive diversity and inclusion by empowering women worldwide to pursue an education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Through this merit-based scholarship program, ApplyBoard is awarding up to C$100,000 in scholarships to selected applicants studying a STEM program at an ApplyBoard Canadian partner school via the ApplyBoard Platform, for the Fall 2021 intake.
Today, we’re delighted to officially announce the winners of the STEM for Change Scholarship Program!
Watch the Video Announcement:
Applications From All Over the World
We were flooded with an incredible array of applications from women from all four corners of the globe who are passionate about studying STEM.
Applicants were asked to record a two- to four-minute video explaining their motivation for pursuing STEM at the post-secondary level in Canada, such as:
- Why you believe studying a STEM program in Canada will change your life.
- What it would mean to be a woman and international student studying STEM in Canada.
- How you plan to use this opportunity to empower and advance other women.
While the reasons cited for studying STEM were as diverse as the applicants themselves, two common themes were noticeable across submissions—the transformative power of education and that education is a right, not a privilege. “Education is the fundamental right of every human,” said Zainab Z.
Oluwatosin A. said that her aspiration to study STEM dates back to a childhood fascination with medicine. It’s a passion that only intensified in the years that have followed and was encouraged each step of the way by her mother. She now has dreams of becoming a doctor and using her education to transform the lives of others in her home country of Nigeria. This idea of enhancing lives is one that is shared by many of the applicants.
For Adanwa N., part of her motivation for studying STEM is about being the best role model possible for her young daughter. When young women see themselves in STEM—whether writing complex code or developing lifesaving medicines—they know that the sky’s the limit.
Surprising the Winners
After careful consideration, a panel of women judges narrowed the applications down to seven STEM for Change Scholarship winners.
Rather than notify the recipients via email as they initially proposed, Martin Basiri, ApplyBoard Co-Founder and CEO, and Meti Basiri, ApplyBoard Co-Founder and CMO, hit upon an even better way of surprising the winners.
Each finalist was invited to connect with Martin and Meti via Zoom under the pretext of a “final interview” to learn more about their background and motivation for studying STEM in Canada. But what they didn’t know was that they had already been selected as a winner!
The reactions ran the gamut from smiles to tears of gratitude and everything in between—for both the recipients and our co-founders. For each of these women, this scholarship reduces the financial burden that accompanies post-secondary education. It also helps pave the way for a brighter future, not only for them, but for the generations of women who follow in their footsteps.
“You really are helping me to take the next step into my future,” explained Breanna H., “and I appreciate it.”
STEM for Change Scholarship Recipients
ApplyBoard wants to extend our congratulations to the following seven recipients of the STEM for Change Scholarship:
Abidemi O.
- Home Country: Nigeria
- STEM Program: Graduate Certificate – Workplace Wellness and Health Promotion
- School: Centennial College – Morningside
Adanwa N.
- Home Country: Nigeria
- STEM Program: Post-Baccalaureate Diploma – Computer and Information Systems – Emerging Technology
- School: Douglas College – New Westminster
Amandeep K.
- Home Country: India
- STEM Program: Honours Bachelor of Therapeutic Recreation
- School: Seneca College – King Campus
Breanna H.
- Home Country: Barbados
- STEM Program: Bachelor of Science – Biology
- School: Mount Saint Vincent University
Mercy A.
- Home Country: Nigeria
- STEM Program: Graduate Certificate – Environmental Monitoring and Impact Assessment
- School: Cambrian College
Oluwatosin A.
- Home Country: Nigeria
- STEM Program: Bachelor of Science – Biomedical Sciences
- School: University of Saskatchewan
Zainab Z.
- Home Country: Pakistan
- STEM Program: College Certificate – Engineering Foundations
- School: Douglas College – New Westminster
The recipients will be invited to attend a virtual recognition event and will be awarded their scholarships in January 2022 for the Winter 2022 semester.
ApplyBoard wishes each recipient the very best as they begin this exciting new chapter of their lives in Canada this fall!
Learn more about ApplyBoard’s STEM for Change Scholarship Program.
