Once again, the De Beers Group has offered ten first-year Canadian women a $4,500 scholarship to support their studies in a STEM-related program at a Canadian university or college.

Please join us in congratulating our ten recipients for 2023! They've got some amazing stories to share, so let's give them a big round of applause! We had almost 500 applicants this year, so choosing just ten was difficult. Let's meet our talented, hard-working winners!

Maggie Fraser

Maggie's from Calgary, working on a degree in animal health at Edmonton's University of Alberta. Maggie's a proud First Nations woman, and has a boundless passion for horses, even working as a groom for a local polo team.

Maggie's on her way to becoming a certified large animal vet, thanks to the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Calgary. There's a shortage of large animal vets, and Maggie's ready to fill the gap and help local animals.

Congrats on receiving this scholarship, Maggie!

Kassidy Klinger

Kassidy's from Nunavut, but she's come south to study health sciences at the University of Ottawa. Once she's earned her stripes, she intends to return to Nunavut and contribute to the local healthcare system there.

By pursuing her goals, Kassidy hopes to encourage others in her community to chase their own road to success! Receiving this scholarship is one piece of the puzzle.

Good luck in your medical career, Kassidy!

Averyana Larsen Murphy

Averyana, a Métis woman from a small town in northern Ontario, is of Cree descent, and she's pursuing her applied life sciences degree at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay.

She's particularly interested in the health and sustainability of waterways and food chains, as climate catastrophe threatens the health of our oceans. Averyana plans to be part of the solution!

Kudos on receiving a De Beers Group scholarship, Averyana!

Sophie Mahon

Sophie's originally from the Northwest Territories' capital of Yellowknife, in Chief Drygeese Territory, and she's now attending the University of Alberta in Edmonton to study cellular, molecular, and developmental biology. She loves the trails and climbing walls available to her!

Sophie appreciates the scholarship for affording her more time to focus on studies and extracurriculars. After graduation, she plans to continue to medical school, before returning North and supporting her community's health needs.

Keep on climbing, Sophie!

Gracie Martin

Gracie's originally from Calgary, but she's attending Alberta's University of Lethbridge to pursue a degree in neuroscience — a natural fit for someone with a boundless curiosity for how the brain works, and why we behave as we do.

Alongside her love of theatre and literature, Gracie plans to continue her education in the healthcare field, and eventually become a practicing neurosurgeon.

Nice job on winning this scholarship, Gracie!

Tamara Mathison

Tamara's from the Northwest Territories, in Yellowknife, but she's in Manitoba at present to earn her degree in health sciences at UManitoba, where she plays on the Bisons women's volleyball team.

She has a lifelong passion for STEM, and plans to become a medical doctor after her undergrad, in order to give back to her northern community.

Keep up the great work, Tamara!

Giselle Penney

Giselle grew up in Yellowknife, in the Northwest Territories, but for now, home is in Alberta, while she earns her biomedical sciences degree at the University of Calgary.

Giselle plans to take her medical education further, by continuing to med school after graduation, in an effort to work within NWT communities and support the healthcare needs of northern Canadians.

Great job so far, Giselle! Keep at it!

Cassie Rogers

Cassie grew up in the Northwest Territories, where her exposure to mining communities in and around Yellowknife helped solidify her interest in environmental engineering: she's now pursuing a degree in the subject at the University of Waterloo.

Her goal is to return north after graduation, to work in mining remediation, and help perfect new, more efficient, sustainable mining technologies. Her greatest ambition is to protect Canada's natural landscapes — and the people who live there!

Stellar job, Cassie!

Josée Touesnard

Josée grew up in "the Hub of the North," Hay River, Northwest Territories, with French-Acadian Indigenous (Mi'kmaq and Métis) roots. She's now in Kingston, Ontario, pursuing a degree in the sciences at Queen's University.

Josée's working towards becoming a nurse practitioner, as she recognizes the need for more healthcare professionals in her home community.

Keep chasing your dreams, Josée!

Marukh Zafar

Marukh's from Calgary, and she stayed in her hometown to attend the University of Calgary's bachelor of science in engineering program.

With her scholarship win, she hopes to inspire future generations of female engineers, contributing to advancements in tech that can benefit all of society. Marukh's eagerly looking to her future!

Way to go, Marukh!

Once again, let's give a big round of digital applause to the ten recipients of the De Beers Group Scholarships for Canadian Women. 2023 was a big year, with many excellent candidates, so if you applied this year, be sure to give yourself a pat on the back as well.

Each of the ten women above will receive a $4,500 scholarship from the De Beers Group Foundation to support their studies — and futures — in STEM. To our ten recipients: way to go!

And again, thanks to all our applicants. We couldn't do it without you!