Rhoda Heimbecker 2011 Rose Nolan Scholarship Winner is a treaty member of the Montreal Lake Cree Nation, located in Northern Saskatchewan. Rhoda decided to enter the Bachelor of Indian Social Work program through the First Nation’s University of Canada Northern Campus in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan after the birth of her third son.
She is the proud mother of three beautiful boys and has always participated in her community and takes pleasure in many volunteer activities. Rhoda started volunteering in high school and was a mentor to young girls and immediately loved it and has continued for the past six years.
Upon completion of her degree she hopes to continue and go into the Masters Program and pass on her knowledge and be part of the preservation of treaty rights as First Nations people.
Congratulations Rhoda from all of us at the Ted Nolan Foundation.
Cara Merasty 2011 Rose Nolan Scholarship Winner grew up in the northern Cree speaking community of Pelican Narrows, Saskatchewan. She is the youngest of eleven children and with both of her parents deceased she will always remember the hard work they taught her and to always finish what she started.
Cara is enrolled in the Juris Doctor program at the College of Law – University of Saskatchewan and will graduate in 2012. In 2000 she enrolled in the Arts and Science program at the University of Saskatchewan but after two years decided to transfer to the Indian Social Work Program. In 2005 she completed an overseas placement in New Zealand working with Maori youth at risk and graduated with a Bachelor of Indian Social Work. Three years later Cara decided to pursue her long term goal of obtaining a degree in law.
Cara has always wanted to become a lawyer and share her teachings and build positive relations between Aboriginal people and non-Aboriginal people which may result in a better understanding of both peoples.
Congratulations Cara from all of us at the Ted Nolan Foundation.
Starlit Simon 2011 Rose Nolan Scholarship Winner is a member of the Elsipogtog First Nation in New Brunswick. This fall she will be going into her fourth year at Saint Thomas University in the Journalism and Communications program. In 2006 she also graduated with a BA in Sociology but needed to fill a void of her creative side and after a trip to Europe she knew her true passion was writing.
Starlit spoke Mi’kmaq for the first six years of her life and is still adjusting and learning English and grammar to this day. In March 2010, National Geographic Traveler printed her story that she submitted through a contest and is also helping take part in a book through a professor at New Hampshire University about Anthology.
Congratulations Starlit from all of us at the Ted Nolan Foundation.
Chantai Minet 2011 Rose Nolan Scholarship Winner is a member of the Teslin Tlingit Council in the Yukon. She recently completed her second year at the University of Alberta and is working towards a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Psychology and a minor in Physical Education.
Chantai is a very busy student athlete and for the past two years has been a member of the woman’s basketball team on the Augustana Campus at the University. Recently, her team has been heavily involved in mentoring a specific group of girls from the Ermineskin Cree Nation in Hobbema, Alberta.
Upon completion of her degree she hopes to obtain her master’s degree in psychology and one day would like to become a sports psychologist and work with athletes.
Congratulations Chantai from all of us at the Ted Nolan Foundation.
Vicki Sahanatien 2011 Rose Nolan Scholarship Winner is a proud member of Wahta First Nation located in the rural territory of central/northern Ontario. Currently working on a PHD in Biological Science at the University of Alberta and will graduate in 2012.
Vicki is in her final year of data analysis and thesis writing and her research is on polar bear ecology and is integrating biological, physical and social sciences. She studies polar bears using GPS satellite telemetry to collect polar bear movement information and is testing new types of satellite imagery to understand sea ice habitat.
She has been a pioneer in pursuing post-secondary education and was the first in her family and her First Nation to attend university and to pursue post secondary training in science. In 1981, she completed her BSC at the University of Guelph, and in 1992 her MES at York University.
Upon graduation she plans to continue working in the ecology – natural resource management – environmental field and hopes to establish her own consulting company.
Congratulations Vicki from all of us at the Ted Nolan Foundation.
