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Scholarship Program

The CHS James Kreppner Memorial Scholarship and Bursary Program supported by

2012 Scholarship and Bursary recipients


The CHS would like to acknowledge Pfizer for their generous support of the CHS James Kreppner Memorial Scholarship and Bursary Program.  In 2012 the CHS was pleased to award $5,000 scholarships / bursaries to six outstanding applicants.


ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIP


Meagan Bordi
Dundas, Ontario

I graduated from Highland Secondary School with honours as an Ontario scholar. I am attending McMaster University this fall working towards a degree in Life Sciences and hopefully an Origins Research Specialization. It is an honour to have been awarded the CHS James Kreppner Memorial Scholarship, which will aid me in achieving my goal of pursuing a career in medicine.

I have been living with type 3 von Willebrand disease all my life and have had many ups and downs throughout the years. I truly believe that having this disease has made me a stronger person and has shown me that I cannot take anything for granted in this life. Take what you have and make it the best you can. As Eleanor Roosevelt said, “It is better to light a candle than to curse at the darkness.”



Nick Czeryn
Winnipeg, Manitoba

I am a graduate of Mennonite Brethren Collegiate Institute and am attending Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) during the upcoming year. I have chosen to pursue a Bachelor of Arts with a major in psychology accompanied by a number of science-related courses. After this degree is completed I hope to enter medical school at the University of Manitoba. My decision to become involved in the medical field has been greatly influenced by the fact that my father has hemophilia. My experience with the hemophilia community has inspired me to become involved in helping those with bleeding disorders as well as the general public. Eventually I hope to have a lasting impact on those who suffer from genetic conditions.

Along with my schooling I am also involved in a number of extra curricular activities. I am playing on the CMU soccer team and continuing involvement with my church as a Sunday school teacher. I will work hard to balance the different areas of my life in order to achieve and maintain the high standards necessary for a student interested in pursuing medical school.



Alexander Little
Calgary, Alberta

I graduated from the University of Victoria with a Bachelor of Arts and majored in English. I have just started my second year of law school at the University of Windsor. During my first year, in addition to my courses, I spent at least three hours a week volunteering at a community legal aid clinic and worked face to face helping clients. This summer I studied law in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, through an exchange program.

I have severe hemophilia A and while in Malaysia, I became very conscious of how to travel and live abroad while having a bleeding disorder. I have travelled in the past and contributed to a Canadian Hemophilia Society module entitled, Bon Voyage! Travelling with a Bleeding Disorder. I believe that it is very important that hemophiliacs feel comfortable and, with enough desire and preparation, I know it is possible to have tremendous experiences that at first seem daunting for someone with hemophilia.

The support of my family and the hemophilia community has been incredible and I am grateful for this scholarship to put towards my law degree.



BURSARY


Samuel Leon
Scarborough, Ontario

I was diagnosed with severe hemophilia A late in my childhood while living in Haiti, a country where treatment for hemophilia is non-existent. I survived with the help of anti-inflammatory medication until I moved to Canada in my early twenties.

I finished high school and completed my bachelor degree in Business Administration. I recently graduated from the City Adult Learning Centre and I am currently attending George Brown College in Toronto where I am studying Business Administration/Accounting. I have chosen this field because I already have a degree in business and want to become a Certified Public Accountant. I completed my first year and am on my way to achieving that goal. With my degree I hope to be able to help people with bleeding disorders, especially those in poor countries like Haiti. I may not be a doctor in medicine but I could certainly help with establishing a hemophilia treatment centre in that country. I would like to thank the Canadian Hemophilia Society for their unwavering support to help people with bleeding disorders achieve their goals.


Rachel Wright
North River, Nova Scotia

I graduated in June 2012 from Cobequid Educational Centre, Truro, Nova Scotia. I am now attending Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in the Bachelor of Science (Kinesiology) program. I would eventually like to continue my studies and become a physiotherapist and work in a hospital setting, hopefully with children. I was diagnosed with a bleeding disorder when I was 18 months old and started attending a week-long camp for children with bleeding disorders when I was seven years old. I am now 17 years old and look forward to many years of giving back to the bleeding disorder community as a volunteer. I wish to sincerely thank the Canadian Hemophilia Society for its support.


MATURE STUDENT BURSARY


Sean Buzash
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

As a child it was a dream to turn a passion for skateboarding into a career. After finishing high school, with meagre savings as seed money and a lot of youthful enthusiasm, a friend and I established our own company. After fourteen years I left the business feeling the need for new challenges. Since that time I have held various positions in the heavy construction industry. Building on what I have learned, and with a strong desire to positively impact the world we live in, I am now pursuing a career in environmental science. This fall I began attending Selkirk College in Castlegar, British Columbia, enrolled in the Integrated Environmental Planning program.

Finding out as an adult that I had a factor XI deficiency was unexpected but not surprising. While it hasn't changed my day to day life, it has made me a more responsible and well prepared person; attributes I hope will help me as I begin my studies as a mature student.

I would like to thank the exceptional staff at the Saskatoon Royal University Hospital Bleeding Disorders Program and the Canadian Hemophilia Society for all their support in my endeavours.

CHS James Kreppner Memorial Scholarship and Bursary Program

In an effort to bring young volunteers into the CHS, and in recognition that a sound education is of utmost importance (particularly for those who might not be able to succeed in a vocation requiring strenuous physical labour), the CHS offers the opportunity for those who qualify to receive a scholarship or bursary in the amount of $5,000 to attend a post-secondary institution of their choice.

To honour James Kreppner’s memory, the Canadian Hemophilia Society (CHS) Scholarship and Bursary Program has been renamed the CHS James Kreppner Memorial Scholarship and Bursary Program. James was a lawyer and long-time volunteer and member of the CHS Board of Directors and a highly respected, articulate and exemplary activist who passed away in 2009 due to HIV and hepatitis C-related complications. The CHS James Kreppner Memorial Scholarship and Bursary Program is an on-going tribute to honour James’ dedication, intelligence and commitment to the CHS and community service.



General information on scholarships and bursaries

 The CHS awards scholarship/bursaries in the amount of $5,000.  The award categories are as follows:

  • scholarship (based on academic merit)
  • bursary (based on financial need)
  • mature student bursary (for applicants 30 years of age and over)


Please note that the mature student bursary is for students returning to or beginning a course of studies at any post secondary or vocational institution.

The program is open to Canadians with hemophilia (factor VIII or IX) or another inherited bleeding disorder (such as von Willebrand disease, a rare factor deficiency or platelet function disorder), carriers, and those who contracted HIV through a blood transfusion. Spouses and children of the above mentioned people may also apply. Those who have received a CHS Scholarship or Bursary are not eligible to reapply for continued support.

Specific criteria and applications for each program have been included. Section I includes information for the scholarship and bursary programs and Section II includes information for the mature student bursary program.

All applicants will be reviewed by a committee of academics and lay persons whose decisions shall be final.

Information and additional application forms can be obtained from the CHS National Office (Toll-free at 1-800-668-2686 or e-mail at chs@hemophilia.ca), chapters and hemophilia clinics.

The deadline for submission of completed applications and supporting documents is April 30. All applications and supporting documents (except for transcripts of final grade twelve or thirteen marks) should be submitted to:

Canadian Hemophilia Society
Scholarship and Bursary Program
400-1255 University Street
Montreal, Quebec  H3B 3B6

Criteria for scholarhips and bursaries

General Criteria for Scholarships and Bursaries
1. Applicants must possess academic standards sufficient to allow admission into the post-secondary educational institution and program to which the scholarship or bursary would be applied.

2. Applicants must provide three (3) letters of reference with their application, none of which may be from a relative. Such letters should attest to the abilities and suitability of the candidate for the Program being applied for as well as act as a character reference for the candidate. Suitable referees might be a principal, teacher, coach, employer or clergyman. One of the letters should be related to the candidate's community service.

3. The applicant must provide, with the application, the signed Proof of Eligibility Form from his/her physician or some medical authority confirming his/her medical status (or that of his/her spouse or parent) regarding eligibility to this program.

4. A demonstration of experience in community service at the volunteer level and some leadership qualities. Such experience should be indicated on the application form. As one of the goals of the CHS Scholarship and Bursary Program is to develop volunteers for the organization, particular attention will be paid to applicants whose community service includes volunteering for CHS at the national, chapter or regional levels.

5. The presentation of clear, logical thinking and adequate writing skills demonstrated in an essay of 500 words on the impact that the bleeding disorder, or HIV contracted through the blood supply, has had on the applicant's life. The essay should be type-written and submitted with the application for a scholarship.


Specific Criteria for Scholarships
As scholarships are awarded for academic merit and are generally recognized as such in both the academic and business communities, the successful applicant for the Canadian Hemophilia Society scholarship must meet the following criteria:

1. Superior academic achievement, that being an average of at least 80%, or a GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, upon graduation from secondary school. Transcripts of grades must accompany the application.


Specific Criteria for Bursaries
Recognizing that not all prospective students show outstanding academic achievement in secondary school, and acknowledging the fact that some students find it extremely difficult to afford a post-secondary education, the Canadian Hemophilia Society offers a non-academic bursary to those who meet the following criteria:

1. A demonstration of financial need: the applicants must submit a detailed budget showing their sources of income and their projected expenses for a year of study at the institution of their choice. It is expected that the applicants will provide some monies toward their education.

Purpose of the Mature Student Bursary program

Recent changes in economic realities have made many Canadians seriously look at new careers. While one could once look forward to a lifelong career in one occupation, now several different and quite distinct jobs might be one’s expectation. In addition, many persons with hemophilia or their spouses have had to leave their field of employment because of illness caused by either HIV, Hepatitis C (HCV), or the stress simply associated with living in a home that has been affected by the trauma of disease. But these changes often mean that further education is desirable or essential. With that in mind, the CHS has established a mature student bursary for those students returning to or beginning a course of studies at any post-secondary institution.

Specific Criteria for Mature Student Bursary

1. A demonstration of financial need: the applicants must submit a detailed budget showing their sources of income and their projected expenses for a year of study at the institution of their choice. It is expected that the applicants will provide some monies toward their education.

2. Proof of age. The applicant must be at least 30 years of age in order to qualify for the mature student bursary.

3. A statement of intent. The applicant must supply a document (a short essay will do) that details what his or her past employment has been, what the proposed career change will offer, and a personal assessment of how the new career will affect the applicant’s lifestyle.

4. Applicants must provide two (2) letters of reference with their application, none of which may be from a relative. Such letters should attest to the abilities and suitability of the candidate for the Program being applied for as well as act as a character reference for the candidate. Suitable referees might be a principal, teacher, coach, employer or clergyman.

5. The applicant must provide, with the application, the signed Proof of Eligibility Form from his/her physician or some medical authority confirming his/her medical status (or that of his/her spouse or parent) regarding eligibility to this program.

Application forms


Scholarship and Bursary Program

Mature Student Bursary Program