My Name is Elizabeth Cumming and I’m 17 years old and live in Port Clements, B.C. (Haida Gwaii). I attended school in Queen Charlotte City at Queen Charlotte Secondary. From grades 8 to 10 I played on our school’s basketball team (stopping in my senior years to focus on academics). Every year since grade 8 I’ve been on the student council as a grade representative, during my grade 12 year I was treasurer and secretary of the student council. I was editor-in-chief of this our yearbook and I’ve been involved with a lot of volunteer work at community related functions. My hobbies include reading, writing, photography, and exploring the natural environment around me.

Being named as the 2011 recipient of the Fernandez Earle Scholarship has truly changed my life and that of my family as well. It means a solid post secondary education, it means a world opportunity has opened up to me and it means that I can pursue the life I want to have. Without this scholarship the only way I could have gotten a post secondary education was if I took a few years off to work and raise money for school or get in an enormous debt situation with student loans or most likely a combination of both.

It means the world to me, I really can’t grasp the words to explain exactly what the FESF Scholarship means—it’s the difference between smiling while crying for a few moments in relief-filled joy or crying for years with worry, stress and fear as I struggle to get the education I long for.

I truly look forward to the journey ahead and thank the FESF for believing in me and allowing me this life changing opportunity.