ARTA–TW Insurance Degree Scholarship 2013 Winners

TW Insurance Brokers, in conjunction with ARTA, provides the ARTA–TW Insurance Scholarships that are awarded to students presently registered in the second, third or fourth year of a program leading to an undergraduate degree.

2013 Winners

Kelsey Allen

With this incredibly generous scholarship from ARTA, I can continue to pursue my dream of inspiring students to become involved in science. At a young age, my grandparents encouraged me to explore the world with a scientific mind. From examining rocks on the beach, to an introduction to Canadian astronauts, I was amazed at how much there was to learn. I pursued an honours physics degree at the University of British Columbia to learn more, which also gave me many wonderful opportunities to become involved with education and outreach in our department. Simultaneously, I have been able to become involved with many research projects, which has further fuelled my desire to understand nature. I will therefore be pursuing graduate school in the future, with the intention of ultimately becoming a professor. This will allow me, like my grandparents, to inspire young minds, as well as to continue to push the boundaries of our knowledge of the world around us.

Thanks again for selecting me!

Gordon Logie

I am a geography student at the University of Lethbridge. I finished my Bachelor of Science degree over the summer of this year. I am currently enrolled in a Master of Science program in Geography, specializing in remote sensing and geographic information science. Remote sensing involves imaging the Earth’s surface with various kinds of sensors from the air and from satellites in order to derive information about it. This information is used in many important applications from agriculture and forestry to urban planning and climate monitoring. My own work will focus on using small unmanned aerial vehicles to monitor the health and water use of streamside vegetation near Lethbridge and Drumheller, Alberta.

I am passionate about environmental issues. I hope that my education will allow me to contribute to keeping the environment healthy for a sustainable future in Alberta and Canada.

I also enjoy reading, photography, travelling, riding my motorcycle, and spending time with my family. When I have finished my master’s degree I would like to take an extensive motorcycle tour either through Europe or parts of Asia.

I am incredibly grateful to have been selected for this award. I would like to sincerely thank the Alberta Retired Teachers’ Association, Dr. Craig Coburn and Dr. Stefan Kienzle for providing excellent references, and my aunt Sheila for sponsoring me for the award.

Adam Manfrin

I want to thank ARTA for their generosity in supporting my education. With ARTA’s help I can continue to focus on my studies in Biomedical Chemical Engineering at the University of Alberta. During my studies I lead a mental health initiative to get people thinking about the often stigmatized mental health issues facing students and young people. The support of ARTA and associations like it will help me to achieve my goal of biomedical research so that I can one day work on nanoparticle drug delivery systems to treat diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s. Thank you Alberta retired teachers!