A graduating student from Brantford Collegiate Institute has won the $25,000 James Boughner Scholarship, a major financial boost that will allow her to attend Western University in London, Ontario, this fall without taking on significant debt.
Emma Martin, announced as the 2026 scholarship winner, said the money makes a dream possible that otherwise would have been out of reach. University would have been extremely difficult for her and her family otherwise, she said, and they might have faced significant loans.
The scholarship is named after retired Brantford businessman and philanthropist James Boughner. He started the award in 2002 after his family physician, Dr. Rod Wilson, and Wilson’s wife Bea suggested the idea. Boughner’s own success story started at age 21 when he took over his father’s business with just 20 employees and grew it into Screen Print, a multimillion-dollar company that eventually employed 300 people before he sold it.
Now administered by the Wilsons on behalf of the James Boughner Foundation, the scholarship rotates annually among the six high schools in Brantford and Brant County. To qualify, students need at least an 80 percent average, must have been accepted into an Ontario university program, show financial need, and have a solid record of activities both in and out of school. The award climbed from $20,000 to $25,000 in 2021.
Martin credited several BCI staff members for helping her get through high school and encouraging her to aim for the scholarship, including guidance counsellor Lindsay Ham, English teacher Mel Glaves, guidance secretary Nicole Hamilton, and graphic design teacher Kyle Geerlings. Her mother, Jackie Hammond, also provided steady support. She will start her post-secondary education this fall with estimated first-year tuition and fees at Western University ranging from about $8,000 to $14,200 for Ontario students, based on current estimates.
