Scholarship dollars an award for hard work

Joshua Bouvier from Turtleford has been selected as one of 10 Canadian recipients of RBC’s 2011 Aboriginal Student Awards.

“It definitely relieved some pressure that I don’t need for university,” said Bouvier, currently in his second year of the University of Saskatchewan’s civil engineering program. “I was happy to know that my hard work had paid off.”

After graduation, he hopes to gain experience under an engineering firm until he can eventually runs his own business. “I just don’t want to feel like my job is at a dead end. I want to push it as far as I can.”

“We look for a strong and meaningful connection to their community and a demonstrated involvement in giving back to this community,” said Dale Sturges, national director of Aboriginal Banking at RBC. “But really, it’s about their potential to complete and succeed in their program.”

Bouvier exhibits such a connection. His mother was principal of the elementary school he attended in the small northern Saskatchewan village of Cole Bay, where Bouvier spent his first 15 years. Through school, he attended cultural camps learning how Aboriginal people would fend for themselves through a variety of activities including the skinning of a beaver and the treatment of the pelt.

Bouvier’s father, who would sometimes help at these cultural camps, in large part imprinted Joshua with the Cree traditions and way of life. “My dad was my first teacher in the Aboriginal background of my culture. He was like the number one teacher.” Bouvier also learned the Cree language through both the school system and his father.

Relishing his university experience and the accolades he’s earned, Bouvier also dreams of being a commercial pilot. “I knew that I loved learning about planes and wanted to learn how to fly one. I’m definitely going to try and pursue that sometime in the future.”

For now, Bouvier’s family appears to be enjoying his success nearly as much as he is. “They’ve known how hard I’ve worked to see it pay off. They’re really proud of that.”

“The calibre of applications coming in is quite strong,” said Sturges. “We had 450 applications in total this year. These are young people who are going to make such contributions to Canada and to the world, and just to be part of that and to see that potential is very exciting.”

Launched in 1992, the RBC award provides First Nations, Inuit and Métis youth across Canada $4,000 each academic year towards their post-secondary education. The prize can be used for tuition, textbooks, supplies and living expenses.