Press Releases

DEF Announces First Scholarship Recipients

It’s the result of a partnership between The Mine Training Society and DEF.

Published

5 years ago

September 19, 2019

INSTORE Staff

DEF Announces First Scholarship Recipients

(PRESS RELEASE) YELLOWKNIFE, NT — Five students from Canada’s Northwest Territories have been chosen to receive scholarships from the Diamond Empowerment Fund. The program is the result of a partnership between The Mine Training Society and the Diamond Empowerment Fund (D.E.F), announced last April by D.E.F. executive director Nancy Orem Lyman and Northwest Territories Minister Wally Schumann. The scholarships were established by the International Diamond Empowerment Fund for youth living in the area of the NWT diamond mines, who plan to pursue either trades training or post-secondary education in business, management, STEM, health care or mental health fields.

The Mine Training Society led the selection of candidates. The following five youth were selected to be the inaugural recipients of the D.E.F Scholarships, each worth $5,000:

Trisa Ngo, Yellowknife, NT: Trisa is currently completing the final year of her Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science from Dalhousie University in Halifax. She is passionate about environmental resource management, specifically in the areas of resource development, contaminated sites remediation and climate change policy.
Lindsay Bodnar-McLeod, Inuvik, NT: Lindsay is pursuing a Bachelor of Education degree at Aurora College in Fort Smith. Lindsay hopes to return to Inuvik to work as a teacher.
Kyra Harris, Fort Good Hope, NT: Kyra is pursuing a Business Diploma from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in Edmonton with the goal of starting her own real estate business.
Sharwyn MacPherson, Fort Smith, NT: Sharwyn is entering his final year as an Instrumentation Technician and he is presently employed at Rio Tinto’s Diavik Diamond mine.
Louise Speakman, Deline, NT: Louise is completing the fourth year of her Bachelor of Social Work degree at MacEwan University in Edmonton. Louise is hoping to work in the criminal justice system when she finishes her degree.

The announcement comes the same week as the second year of the Diamond Empowerment Fund’s ‘Real Diamonds/Real Impact’ proposal contest. Winners of the contest will travel to the Northwest Territories to meet with D.E.F’s scholarship recipients and experience the beauty and adventure of the country.

www.diamondsdogood.com/myproposalcontest/

This Third-Generation Jeweler Was Ready for Retirement. He Called Wilkerson

Retirement is never easy, especially when it means the end to a business that was founded in 1884. But for Laura and Sam Sipe, it was time to put their own needs first. They decided to close J.C. Sipe Jewelers, one of Indianapolis’ most trusted names in fine jewelry, and call Wilkerson. “Laura and I decided the conditions were right,” says Sam. Wilkerson handled every detail in their going-out-of-business sale, from marketing to manning the sales floor. “The main goal was to sell our existing inventory that’s all paid for and turn that into cash for our retirement,” says Sam. “It’s been very, very productive.” Would they recommend Wilkerson to other jewelers who want to enjoy their golden years? Absolutely! “Call Wilkerson,” says Laura. “They can help you achieve your goals so you’ll be able to move into retirement comfortably.”