Nanaimo woman planning for university after life-changing scholarship

A love of the water is anchoring MacDonald’s studies.

For the last year, she’s volunteered at a pair of Island fish hatcheries, helping run programs in both Ladysmith and Courtenay.

The arrangement helped introduce her to a registered biologist, Sarah Poole, who MacDonald credits with helping nurture her passion.

“It was really helpful to see someone in a career with passion that wasn’t surrounding money. All my friends were just trying to find the right career so they could settle down and have a family, and she just has so much passion in what she does, and I was really inspired by that.”

MacDonald’s grade 12 year also helped cement her future career path, in particular a geography class, which introduced her more to invasive plant species, erosion impacts on river systems, water quality issues, and environmental sustainability.

She told NanaimoNewsNOW the subject matter “just tickles my brain in the right way.”

“Sarah told me, and it really stuck with me, that people are always going to do stupid things, and you can’t change the way humans are, but you can help the consequences of their actions. You can do something if they’re going to do it anyway.”

The Cmolik Foundation presents 25 awards annually to students across B.C. who demonstrate an ability to overcome adversity and excel in their studies.

In applying for the award via a 2,000-character micro-essay and subsequent interview, MacDonald spoke of her upbringing.

In foster care until she was one year old and then adopted by a single mother, MacDonald said there were several disconnects with adoptive and biological family members, often leaving her to feel alone.

She described much of her upbringing as unstable, including challenging living conditions.

Despite the challenges, MacDonald kept focused on her studies and will head into class at VIU in September determined to continue excelling.

“I feel like my resilience is based in making the sacrifice of my biological parents worth it. I watched what giving up all four of their kids did to them, and I think that I’m going to university and chasing my dreams, not because of me, but because I really want to make all their sacrifices worth it.”

After post-secondary school, MacDonald plans to explore programming through Fisheries and Oceans Canada where she can work with youth and teach them about the world around them.

She also has an eye on a potential Master’s and law degree, with a focus on environmental law.

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by Alex Rawnsley

Nanaimo woman planning for university after life-changing scholarship

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