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Nicole Bee – Chaney-Ensign Bursary Fund
I graduated from Sir Allan MacNab High School in 1997 and attended OAC in 1997-98. As I went through high school, I figured out fairly quickly that I wanted to be a social worker. I was lucky enough to be born into a family that had many privileges and I wanted to help those who hadn't been as lucky; who struggled with issues such as addiction, poverty, and illness. I applied for and was accepted at McMaster University, into the School of Social Work. I started classes at McMaster in the fall of 1998, and graduated in 2003 with my BA/BSW. I tried to keep an eye out for any possible scholarships or bursaries, but didn't seem to be eligible, for......
https://old.hamiltoncommunityfoundation.ca/impact/stories/nicole-bee-chaney-ensign-bursary-fund/
Lisamarie Perrotte Bristol – Chaney-Ensign Bursary Fund
I attended Cathedral High School in Hamilton and graduated in 1999. I was part of the French immersion programme and loved it. I attended York University and got my Bachelor of Science with Specialized Honours in Psychology from 2000-04, and decided to pursue a career in law at Georgia State University College of Law from 2006-09, graduating with a Juris Doctor. Since 2010, I have been practising law. Originally, I was a Youth Advisory Council (YAC) member at HCF and went on to become a summer coordinator for the Foundation. As the summer coordinator, I was responsible for doing research and compiling some grant-giving criteria for an endowment fund that had been recently set up. It was through this association that......
https://old.hamiltoncommunityfoundation.ca/impact/stories/lisamarie-perrotte-bristol-chaney-ensign-bursary-fund/
Reed Family – Chaney-Ensign Bursary Fund
(as told by Ray Reed, father) A well-intentioned member of the HCF board told us that the Chaney-Ensign Bursary was offered by the Foundation. This information was the lifeline that we so desperately needed. My wife, Vicky, was an outstanding scholar who gloried in being a wonderful wife and mother. She saw as her calling a large family, using her social work training at home. I was the sole provider until our children began part-time jobs, such as paper routes, babysitting, store clerks, junior librarians, etc. Hamilton Community Foundation entered our lives at the exact moment of our greatest need and stayed in our lives for years. I am now retired. Vicky is still a wonderful homemaker and the heart of the family.......
https://old.hamiltoncommunityfoundation.ca/impact/stories/reed-family-chaney-ensign-bursary-fund/
Theresa Noon – Geritol Follies Bursary Fund
I attended St. Thomas More Secondary School and then was accepted into the theatre program at York University, where I obtained my Bachelor of Fine Arts, Specialized Honours. At York, all students are in a general theatre studies program for their first year and then audition for their stream for second year. I was accepted into the creative ensemble acting program. Along with it being a very strict acting program, the students were also required to write and direct pieces. Out of the 200 students that were auditioned, I was one of 26 students admitted into the program. By my fourth year, there were 15 remaining students. Upon completion of my fourth year, I was one of four graduating students and one......
https://old.hamiltoncommunityfoundation.ca/impact/stories/theresa-noon-geritol-follies-bursary-fund/
Katie Gilmour – Eastburn Fellowship Fund
I attended Sir John A Macdonald High School in Ottawa from 1979 to 1984, where I particularly enjoyed courses in science (especially biology) and math (especially calculus). My undergraduate degree was carried out at McMaster University, 1984 to1988 where I graduated with a B.Sc. (Honours) in Biology. During my fourth year at McMaster, I took a course in environmental physiology given by Dr. Chris Wood and was totally hooked, so after finishing at McMaster, I went to the University of Cambridge to pursue a PhD in Zoology. Upon completion of my PhD in 1992, I was awarded an Eastburn postdoctoral fellowship to work in the lab of Dr. Steve Perry at the University of Ottawa. After a second postdoctoral stint, this......
https://old.hamiltoncommunityfoundation.ca/impact/stories/katie-gilmour-eastburn-fellowship-fund/
Jeremy Freiburger – Geritol Follies Bursary Fund
I attended Ancaster High School, which was an excellent school for those who were artistically inclined. We had concert band, annual theatre productions, excellent English and visual art teachers. After attending McMaster for Humanities for one year, I decided I needed to focus on theatre performance and after a series of auditions, I was accepted into the American Music and Dramatic Academy in New York, where I studied Performance. I can’t recall how I found out about the award – but it was likely through a community connection in the local theatre community. Now, I’m the Cultural Strategist for CoBALT Connects, a non-profit Arts Service Organization in Hamilton. I work with artists and communities to develop and understand their creative and cultural......
https://old.hamiltoncommunityfoundation.ca/impact/stories/jeremy-freiburger-geritol-follies-bursary-fund/
Jennifer Schiffner – Chaney-Ensign Bursary Fund
I graduated from Barton Secondary School in 1990, went on to receive a BA in Sociology from McMaster University, and completed studies in social service work and police studies at Sheridan College. I then attended the RCMP training academy and was hired by the Force. As my policing career was beginning I was able to continue my studies with certification in forensic sciences, intelligence analysis, and human resources management from BCIT and SIAST. In 2011, I received a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice from University of the Fraser Valley, and currently I am continuing studies in adult education and training at the University of Regina. Today, I am an RCMP officer. After working in four different postings in BC in nine......
https://old.hamiltoncommunityfoundation.ca/impact/stories/jennifer-schiffner-chaney-ensign-bursary-fund/
Michael Hayes – Chaney-Ensign Bursary Fund
I stopped going to high school when I was 15 and formally withdrew the day I turned 16. At the time, I thought school was a waste of time and I was more interested in exploring other things – sexuality, drugs, music, and the open road. I followed my then girlfriend and her family to New Brunswick, convinced that I was going to marry her. She was much more mature than I was and, when I returned to Hamilton to tell my parents about my plans, she advised me in a letter that I should not come back as she was seeing someone else. I started working at a local manufacturing firm that made sandpaper belts and buffing compounds for the......
https://old.hamiltoncommunityfoundation.ca/impact/stories/michael-hayes-chaney-ensign-bursary-fund/
Constance O’Conner – Eastburn Fellowship Fund
I did the International Baccalaureate diploma program at Regiopolis-Notre Dame High School in Kingston, Ontario, and graduated in 2002. After high school, I attended McGill University achieving a Bachelor of Science in Biology and English Literature in 2006. I liked the diversity of experience and education that I got from completing a double major. During my undergraduate degree, I completed a thesis project exploring how fishes adapt to extremely low-oxygen environments. This project made me interested in how animals adapt to their environment, and how they manage when their environment changes, either through natural causes or from man-made events. Pursuing these interests, I went on to complete a PhD at Carleton University, graduating in 2011. In 2011, I came to McMaster University......
https://old.hamiltoncommunityfoundation.ca/impact/stories/constance-oconner-eastburn-fellowship-fund/
Anita & Christopher Counter – Chaney-Ensign Bursary Fund
In the business of complex, long-term change, it’s not often the community foundation hears definitive evidence that its granting has transformed a life. But siblings Anita and Christopher Counter have each reached
out recently to thank the Foundation for life-changing support they received more than 20 years ago. These two extraordinarily accomplished adults – Anita Counter is senior vice-president in sales and marketing of a leading financial institution, and Dr. Chris Counter is a cancer researcher and professor at Duke University – were at risk in their teens. Estranged from their family and living on their own by 17 and 16 respectively, – with no resources and no support system, their futures were in serious doubt. “Our growing up was pretty difficult”, reflects......
https://old.hamiltoncommunityfoundation.ca/impact/stories/anita-christopher-counter-chaney-ensign-bursary-fund/
Alyssa Curto – Geritol Follies Bursary Fund
I enrolled at Westmount Secondary School in grade 11 and immediately joined an improv team called “The Sketch Comedy Team”, where I was able to contribute both as a performer and as a writer. In addition, I performed in the school musical “Fiddler on the Roof”. There were also many opportunities throughout my three years there in talent shows, school assemblies, and other extra-curricular gatherings (i.e., fundraising “Coffee Houses/Java Nights”). The nurturing and supportive environment of Westmount lent itself well to the large number of artistic students the school housed. I felt as though my talents were appreciated and respected there in a way that I had not previously experienced, and it was wonderful to have so many friends in the......
https://old.hamiltoncommunityfoundation.ca/impact/stories/alyssa-curto-geritol-follies-bursary-fund/
Dr. John Misale – Chaney-Ensign Bursary Fund
I attended Bishop Ryan High School in Hamilton between 1980-85 then on to McMaster University from 1985-89, where I graduated with a B.Sc. degree in biology. I then pursued a professional career as a Doctor of Chiropractic and graduated from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in 1993. While in the chiropractic college, another recipient from Hamilton made me aware of the bursary. I have celebrated my 20th year in practice as a Doctor of Chiropractic. I currently have two chiropractic practices in Hamilton and have helped new chiropractors in their future plans. I am also a member of the Chaney-Ensign review committee. Coming from a working-class family in Hamilton, post-secondary education and professional schooling are in many cases restrictive because of the financial......
https://old.hamiltoncommunityfoundation.ca/impact/stories/dr-john-misale-chaney-ensign-bursary-fund/

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Hamilton Community Foundation believes that everyone should have access to educational opportunities. Bursary and scholarship funds created by our generous donors provide assistance and encouragement to students who are challenged by the costs of higher learning. The impact of these funds is hard to overestimate:  because of them, hundreds of students have received support without which they may never have been able to complete their education. We invite you to read some of the stories of the recipients, told in their own words.  If you have a story to share, we’d love to hear from you; please contact Grace Diffey. If you are a student seeking financial support, please visit our Scholarships and Bursaries page to learn more about the opportunities available.