A Grade 12 student from Brantford is heading to university this fall with a significant financial boost after being awarded a $50,000 scholarship. Brooke Macdonald, who attends Pauline Johnson Collegiate and Vocational School, received the award through Western University’s National Indigenous Scholarship Program.
The scholarship is awarded annually to five incoming Indigenous undergraduate students who demonstrate academic excellence, leadership, and a commitment to their communities. Established in 2021, the program provides recipients with $20,000 for their first year of study, followed by $10,000 annually for up to three additional years.
Macdonald plans to study kinesiology at the university with the goal of working in sports or chiropractic medicine. She says her career path is driven by a desire to help address the lack of specialized healthcare services in Indigenous communities. Her commitment to health and community service is further reflected in her experience completing a co-op in athletic therapy at McMaster University, as well as her time playing and coaching lacrosse with the Six Nations team.
Her school is part of the Grand Erie District School Board, which serves students from the city of Brantford as well as the Six Nations of the Grand River and Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. Research from Statistics Canada has highlighted that Indigenous people in Canada often face significant barriers to accessing healthcare, including difficulty obtaining specialist referrals and widespread shortages of primary care physicians.
