Being awarded the Fernandez Earle Scholarship is an incredible honor. I am one step closer to my career goal of becoming a Marine Biologist. It is amazing that I have been given this opportunity to study at Hawai’i Pacific University. Being granted the scholarship has opened up many doors for not only me, but also my community. My hope is that I have inspired my family and peers, to work hard in school and in the community because it can definitely pay off. I am beyond grateful to the Fernandez Earle Scholarship Foundation for giving me this once in a lifetime opportunity to study marine biology in Hawai’i.
My plan for after I achieve my Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Biology is to come home to Haida Gwaii. Where I feel that my education will be of great use to the betterment of our ocean and community. Over the years I have heard that there is a great need for locals to study marine biology and I hope that I will be able to fill that need. I would like to thank the foundation and its donors once again for this incredible opportunity.
I never imagined that I’d one day be a recipient of the Fernandez Earle Scholarship Foundation (FESF). After calculating what years the scholarship would be offered and noticing that it didn’t fall on my graduation year I began to think of other universities that I could attend upon graduating from secondary school. It came as a surprise when in my senior year, my principal stopped me in the hallway and asked me if I was going to apply. “Apply for what?” I thought. She then informed me that the FESF was offering the Hawaii scholarship in the spring even though it had just been given out the year before. I couldn’t believe it and knew that this was the chance of a lifetime and something I had to pursue.
I can remember when the scholarship was first offered, I was in Tahayghen Elementary School in Masset, with thoughts of university already dancing in my head. I knew it was something I would strive for. I never would have thought that, one day, I would be a recipient; I can remember the day I received the call like it was yesterday. Hearing Beverley’s voice on speaker phone was absolutely surreal. It is hard to believe that I have completed my Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing and psychology minor at Hawaii Pacific University. It has been an exhilarating experience living and continuing my education in Hawaii.
Receiving the Fernandez Earle Scholarship to Hawaii Pacific University means nothing less to me than the opportunity of a lifetime. Being offered the funding and resources to study in Hawaii by the Fernandez Earle Foundation means that I can immediately begin working towards my dream of becoming a nurse.
My Name is Elizabeth Cumming and I’m 17 years old and live in Port Clements, B.C. (Haida Gwaii). I attended school in Queen Charlotte City at Queen Charlotte Secondary. From grades 8 to 10 I played on our school’s basketball team (stopping in my senior years to focus on academics). Every year since grade 8 I’ve been on the student council as a grade representative, during my grade 12 year I was treasurer and secretary of the student council. I was editor-in-chief of this our yearbook and I’ve been involved with a lot of volunteer work at community related functions. My hobbies include reading, writing, photography, and exploring the natural environment around me. 
I still remember so clearly the day that I found out I was going to be given the chance of a lifetime to attend a university in Hawaii to pursue my otherwise out of reach dreams. During the course of these past eight years, much like the Foundation, I have grown and matured and accomplished feats that once seemed impossible. For example, in December of 2006 I graduated with honors from the University of Hawaii with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Biology, something I certainly could not have achieved without the generosity and loving support of the family and friends of both Kane Fernandez and Roger Earle.
My time in Hawaii was an amazing experience, one for which I cannot thank the Fernandez Earle Scholarship enough. The chance to study biology at one of the most culturally diverse universities in the world is truly a privilege. I was exposed to many different cultures and types of people. I met and had the honour of working with many talented people who I would not have had the chance to know had it not been for the FESF. Hawaii holds a very special place in my heart and I have ties there that will last a lifetime as a result of my experience.
Great news . . . I have a job!
My name is Leigh-Anna Marks and I was the privileged recipient of the Fernandez Earle Scholarship for the year 2007. I have completed my sophomore year of university and am finishing my prerequisites for my nursing major. The plan for next year is to start nursing clinicals. When I graduate from Hawai’i Pacific University, my goal is to proceed with honors with a major in nursing and a minor in psychology. Eventually my long term goal is to work as a nursing practitioner specializing in pediatrics in Northern British Columbia.
My name is Meghan Brasier and I am fortunate to be the recipient of the 2008 Fernandez Earle Scholarship. I am currently finishing my first year at Hawaii Pacific University. My major at Hawaii Pacific University is Environmental Studies with a minor in Geography. I plan to graduate with honours in 2012 and then further my education in British Columbia by working towards a second degree in Architecture. My long term career goal is to become an Environmental Architect who designs environmentally sustainable buildings throughout Canada.