Alicyn Goodman
Winnipeg, MB
In October 2016, the Jon Sigurdsson Chapter IODE awarded 14 scholarships and one bursary. Once again, the recipients were an inspiring group of young people.
The Jon Sigurdsson Chapter has been awarding scholarships since 1937. The first scholarship established was the IODE Music Scholarship and this coincided with the establishment of the School of Music at the University of Manitoba. To date, over 500 scholarships have been awarded.
Scholarships are given to students entering university and to returning students as well as students whose studies have been interrupted due to health reasons, family responsibilities, or financial difficulties. Scholarships are offered in specific faculties and fields of studies, including social work, agriculture, music, education, and women’s studies. The scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic excellence, good citizenship, and leadership potential. Application forms for next year will be available in May 2017.
Johanna Gudrun Skaptason Memorial Scholarship
Colin Schroeder is a first year student at the University of Manitoba and next year intends to enter the Asper School of Business. In high school, at Miles Macdonell Collegiate, he was an honour roll student who was involved with student government and athletics. Colin was a co-captain of the varsity basketball team and was awarded the Basketball Manitoba Ron Meyers Leadership Award for leadership on and off the court. Colin is of Icelandic descent. His grandmother is Erla Helgason Wankling, a former Fjallkona and past president of the Jon Sigurdsson Chapter IODE.
Hildur Guttormson Memorial Scholarship
Ashley Hayward is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in the University of Winnipeg’s Conflict Resolution program. She began her university studies 10 years after graduating from high school and at a time when her children were very young. While studying, Ashley continues to be very active in her community. She is co-president of Agape House Eastman Crisis Centre, a board member of École Provencher parent advisory board and intends to run in the 2018 election for trustee in the Louis Riel School Division. Ashley is Métis and will be the first person in her family to earn a university degree.
Members Memorial Scholarship
Madison Hergert-Schmidt is in the Faculty of Education working on a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in history as well as a Bachelor of Education. Her long-term goal is to complete a Ph.D. in history. Besides being an honour roll student, Madison is very involved in figure skating in her community of East St. Paul. She has taken on a position on the board of directors of the East St. Paul Skating club, acts as social media coordinator for the club, and coaches in the learn to skate and figure skating programs. She has competed at the national level in the National Synchronised Skating Competition.
IODE Music Scholarship
Natalie Kathler is a first-year student at the Canadian Mennonite University. She successfully completed Grade 10 violin practical exam. She teaches violin and is a violinist in the Winnipeg Youth Orchestra, where she was awarded their Long Service Award. In high school, she was very active in their music program. Natalie’s goal is to be a language and speech pathologist. She is fluent in English and French.
Kristen and Albert Stephensen Music Scholarship
Amanda Robertson is a clarinettist and is pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Performance at the University of Manitoba. During her high school years, she taught clarinet to fellow students during her lunch hour and spare periods. She also led the clarinet section in the high school orchestra. For the last two years, Amanda has been teaching clarinet clinics in Winnipeg. She intends to pursue a career in performance and teaching private students for a career. Last summer she was accepted into the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra Institute in Whistler but was unable to attend due to financial challenges, but she will be applying again to attend in 2016. Amanda grew up on a farm near Beausejour, Manitoba, and helps out with the care of the livestock.
Anna Skaptason Memorial Scholarship
Jessica Kendel is completing an integrated Bachelor of Music/Bachelor of Education program at the University of Manitoba. She intends to teach choral music at the high school level. She is volunteering as an assistant conductor to Dr. David Sawatzky with Cantemus, which is an all-girls choir and part of the Pembina Trails Voices. Jessica says, “I love working with young people and I love music. Combining the two has been a brilliant success.” Besides a love for choral music, she plays piano and flute.
Snjolaug Gillis Memorial Scholarship
Jenna North is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Nursing degree at the University of Manitoba. Her long-term goal is to become a nurse practitioner. She grew up in Birtle, Manitoba, and was very active in student government in high serving as vice president and president. Jenna volunteers at the Women’s Health Clinic as a birth control and unplanned pregnancy counsellor. There she provides counselling to women, as she says, “by providing them with as much information needed so that they can make an informed decision.” Jenna grew up in the foster care system, which means that she has accomplished a great deal without the support of a family.
Gyda Naylor Memorial
Bethany MacLean is studying at the University of Winnipeg in the Faculty of Education in the early/middle years program. She has wanted to be a teacher for as long as she can remember. She has been consistently on the dean’s honour roll as a student of highest distinction. Bethany has travelled to India and Romania on humanitarian missions. She has been active in her church’s music and youth program. Bethany plays ultimate frisbee and has coached six- to ten-year-old children’s soccer. For a number of years, she has been involved in the River East Transcona School Division summer day camp.
Eugene and Rose Clyde Memorial Scholarship
Bailey Gillies is studying at the University of Winnipeg with the intention of becoming a guidance counsellor. As well as pursing her studies, she is currently working at Taking Charge, which is an educational non-profit organization that provides opportunities for academic upgrading and career exploration for sole parents and women. Bailey has volunteered in the community and at university and she has independently taken on related courses and workshops. Bailey is of Icelandic descent. One ancestor, Johannes Gislason, came to Canada in 1876 and changed his name to Gillies when he settled in Southwestern Manitoba.
Skip and Margaret Skaptason Memorial Scholarship
Lilianne Tran is in her fourth year in the Faculty of Agriculture. She is majoring in animal science and intends to go on to veterinary medicine. Her volunteer work has been extensive – visiting inner-city schools to create a sense of security and stability for the students, involved with a number of animal hospitals and rescue shelters, helping out at the Winnipeg Folk Festival. Perhaps her most important undertaking is as co-event planner for A Concert for Carter. Carter was Lilianne’s friend who lost his battle with cancer. For the past two years, this event has raised $16,000 for CancerCare Manitoba. As the daughter of immigrant parents she is proud to call Canada her home.
Neil Bardal Scholarship
Rochelle Palsson is in the Faculty of Education at the University of Winnipeg and hopes to work in the early education field. Before attending university, she has been very active in her community of Arborg. She has taught Sunday school and volunteered as a food preparer at the Sunrise Lodge. Rochelle performed vocal jazz and was part of the school’s gospel choir. She was part of the Icelandic Youth Choir and has been involved in Ukrainian dance. Rochelle’s paternal great-great-grandparents immigrated from Iceland in the 1890s.
Margret Benedictsson Scholarship
Johise Namwira is studying in the Women and Gender Studies program at the University of Manitoba. Her goal is to work in the area of international human rights. As a student intern, Johise coordinated other student interns during the Native Women and Film Festival, which recognized the work of Indigenous female artists through a series of film screenings and roundtable discussions. Recently, she has accepted a volunteer position as an editor for the department’s Feminist and Queer Collective journal, which allows undergraduates to share their research, photography, and creative writing pieces. At St. Amant, Johise works with children and adults with disabilities. Johise has a black belt in karate.
Lynelle Wishneski Bursary
Noel Braucher is a mature student at the University of Manitoba. In 2007, Noel was diagnosed with end-stage renal failure and underwent a kidney transplant. From 2010 to 2014, he was a member of the 4th Canadian Ranger Patrol Reserve Group. His motivation to enlist was in part to “reciprocate to Canada the services and compassionate care that his family received.” In 2015, Noel resigned his job as an IT professional to pursue a long-held dream to complete a university degree program. He is majoring in Icelandic and his career goal is to work in film production and technical services. Noel is originally from British Columbia.
The IODE 100th Anniversary Scholarship
Jessica Allard is pursuing a Bachelor of Education in the After-Degree Program at the University of Manitoba. As a single mother, she continually faces challenges. Her first degree was in environmental science. She has worked at an environmental composting facility and with Via Rail as an activity coordinator aboard The Canadian, where she shared with travellers her knowledge of Canadian geography. On return from maternity leave, she has been unable to secure a position that will allow her to live independently and raise her son. This is the motivation to return to university and become a teacher.
Lorna M. Thorlakson Memorial Scholarship
Abigail Lidster is in her third year in the Faculty of Social Work. She attended the University of Regina before transferring to the University of Manitoba. As with many of our scholarship recipients, she is living away from home for the first time. On graduating from high school, Abigail was awarded Student of the Year. Currently, she is employed as a boarding assistant at Balmoral Hall and volunteers as a visitation monitor at the Winnipeg Children's Access Agency.
