John J Vanderlee Award for Male Nursing Students Scholarship
I am halfway through the BSN program at the University of Toronto. I used to work for Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders as a logistician. Working alongside so many dedicated nurses during those years, I was impressed by their skill and can-do attitude. They didn’t shy away from hard work or getting their feet wet and hands dirty. They taught me about the role of a nurse, and many of them exemplified the best nursing attributes that I am now striving to emulate.
My short-term goal is to work in remote communities in Northern Canada, where the practical and problem-solving skills learned during a decade of overseas humanitarian aid work will complement the clinical skills I’m gaining in my ongoing BSN program.
I am honoured to receive the John J Vanderlee award and extremely grateful to the Canadian Nurses Foundation and the award donors.