A new scholarship fund will support nursing students who identify as First Nation, Métis, or Inuit.

The inaugural award of the Camille Dan Family Scholarship in Nursing offers $5,000 to a graduate student in the winter of 2022. Subsequent years will see it split between an undergraduate and a graduate student.

“I hope that this scholarship, as part of the outstanding University of Windsor School of Nursing education, helps as a step forward offering opportunities for achievement and advancement of nursing and health care within our First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities in Canada,” said donor Camille Dan (BScN 1982).

After a career in nursing, she founded the private investment firm Talitna Enterprises, and earlier this year published the book Aaron's Energy: An Unexpected Journey Through Grief and the Afterlife With My Brilliant Son.

Dean of the Faculty of Nursing, Debbie Sheppard-Lemoine, welcomed the announcement of the scholarship fund.

“I want to express my sincere thanks for the establishment of this new award that will provide scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students of Indigenous heritage,” she said. “We are looking forward to supporting this first-ever funding opportunity for an Indigenous nursing student.”

The scholarship will make a difference for its recipients and beyond, said Russell Nahdee, co-ordinator of the Aboriginal Education Centre.

“The Camille Dan Family Scholarship in Nursing award promises to positively change Indigenous students’ lives and shows that good things are happening in the world of nursing,” Nahdee said. “The promise to inspire, educate, and help Indigenous students to feel more supported and at ease in their current careers and prospective careers, further supports the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action.”

Look for more information, including eligibility details and application processes, through UWinsite Student.