Austin Zacharko remembers the first time he saw a row of wind turbines. He was visiting Maui with his family when he stopped to stare at the huge pieces of metal catching the wind to create energy. His fascination with energy production, combined with having plenty of friends and family in the oil industry, eventually led Zacharko to the mechanical engineering program at the 喵咪社区.
It wasn't long before he found his calling within the field, connecting his engineering skills with community development. Zacharko, who is M茅tis, got inspired to learn about his heritage after becoming involved with a few Indigenous student groups on campus, including organizing an Indigenous engineering club.
"Before university, I knew I was M茅tis, but I didn't know exactly what that meant," he says.
Then he worked for a summer as an engineering assistant with Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, which opened his eyes to the energy needs of rural Indigenous communities.
U of A's M茅tis Scholar Award - made possible by the Rupertsland Institute - has provided Zacharko the time to develop leadership skills and gain experience in Indigenous communities.
"No debt hanging over my head is a huge relief. I can take time for myself, for research and for work with NGOs to make a difference," he says.
A recent gift from the Rupertsland Institute added $1 million to the M茅tis Education Foundation scholarship endowment, which has supported scholarships for M茅tis students at the U of A since 2008.
Thanks to his scholarship, Austin had the time to mentor children through Big Brothers, Big Sisters and to help with the annual round dance on campus and a two-day orientation specifically for new First Nations, M茅tis and Inuit students. This summer, he will work with Engineers Without Borders on Barcamp Ghana, which organizes mini-conferences to bring people together to make a difference in their community. In the fall, he's off to Sydney as part of a research fellowship on climate change.
After he graduates, Zacharko plans to work with Indigenous communities on renewable energy projects and serve as an advocate for their interests. His goal is to support the development of each community's capacity to meet their own energy needs, permanently and sustainably.
"What I have come to know for certain is that the M茅tis Education Foundation awards 鈥媍an 鈥媍hange lives and maybe even at times save lives," says Shana Dion, assistant dean of First Nations, Metis and Inuit students in the U of A Dean of Students' office. "Many of the recipients have already succeeded as they have volunteered their time and heart to their community鈥�. However - let's be honest - a little money for a student is always welcomed to help them thrive, not simply survive."
Through the M茅tis Education Foundation, the Rupertsland Institute enhances the self-sufficiency and well-being of M茅tis in 喵咪社区 through quality education, training and research. These awards help M茅tis students like Zacharko who are enrolled in undergraduate, professional or graduate programs.
"This scholarship fund demonstrates the value that the Rupertsland Institute - and by extension the M茅tis Nation of 喵咪社区 - places on educating M茅tis youth," says Chris Andersen, dean of the Faculty of Native Studies. "An endowment is literally a gift that keeps on giving, and the Rupertsland Institute has ensured that it can support M茅tis learners - now and into the future."