Among the $29,000 in scholarships and bursaries recently doled out by the Whistler Community Foundation (WCF) to Sea to Sky graduates and outdoor program students, there is a new offering.
The first Don MacLaurin Memorial Rotary Club of Whistler & Cheakamus Community Forest Scholarship went to Nate Lawrence, who attends Whistler Secondary School (WSS).
"It means a lot to me to be recognized in honour of someone who made such a lasting impact on the Whistler area and on forestry in general," Lawrence says in a press release. "I’ve grown up appreciating the forests and trails in the valley, and learning about Mr. MacLaurin’s role in preserving places like Lost Lake and the Ancient Cedars was inspiring … I’m excited to be part of protecting the land and the communities that depend on it. Receiving this scholarship gives me more confidence moving forward and reminds me how important it is to care for our forests, not just for now, but for future generations too."
WCF holds nine funds that provide scholarship and bursary support across business, social and environmental fields of study.
"Starting a scholarship fund can be a rewarding in many ways, including when establishing a fund commemorating a family member or a community member who contributed to the community or an issue it a particular way," states WCF CEO Claire Mozes in a release. "We were excited that Don MacLaurin’s family, Cheakamus Community Forest and Rotary Club of Whistler collaborated on establishing a scholarship that inspires students wishing to pursue natural resource management, forestry or First Nations archaeological studies."
Click here to view a full list of awards and their recipients.
