Meet the students

Benett Bautista

Faculty of Arts

As a little girl in the Philippines, with few options when it came to children’s TV, Benett Bautista tuned into news programs instead — and became fixated.

“Every morning, I remember watching, just seeing how the world works,” says Bautista. “Learning about war, about people making history — that’s what really got me into politics.”

It’s a fascination that continued after her family immigrated to Canada in 2010. Bautista is now poised to graduate this year from UCalgary with a double major — BA in Political Science, BA in International Relations. She soon travels to Belgium for an internship at NATO and plans to pursue her master’s in international affairs at Carleton University and eventually become a lawyer.

During the school year, she’d been able to maintain her incredible educational momentum, thanks to support from the John N. McDougall Bursary in Political Science. The award, established by the estate of Dr. John McDougall, BA’67, is based on academic merit and financial need.

“Oh man, that’s one of the most visceral and vivid memories I have of my academic career,” Bautista says of receiving the 2024 bursary. “I was shaking with excitement, relief and disbelief. And then here come the waterworks. When you find an opportunity that really changes your life …

“Not to have to rely on anyone, it’s really that move of independence, a move of inspiration, a move of being affirmed. I was nothing short of ecstatic. (It’s) a moment I’ll remember because it reminds me I’m on the right path.”

Joseph Weston

Schulich School of Engineering

Joseph Weston, a member of the Mi'kmaq Miawpukek First Nation, is driven. His focus? Canadian nuclear power development.

“I’m definitely very committed to that,” says Weston, the 2024 recipient of the Raytheon Canada Limited Scholarship for Indigenous Students, an award that goes to a third-year electrical engineering student in the Schulich School of Engineering. “I’m really putting all my eggs in one basket with this.”

As a volunteer, he does website development for the North American Young Generation in Nuclear (NAYGN) network. And he’s part of the Nuclear Energy Student Community (NESC) club on UCalgary’s campus. Regularly attending industry conferences in Western Canada, which he calls a “great investment,” Weston has made more than 60 connections in the field.

“I want to make sure the donors know that I have a future — this is where I’m going to end up,” he says. “Scholarship money definitely helps with professional development.”

Weston has visited Carcross, Yukon, an Indigenous community that uses a diesel generator as a backup power source. The Miawpukek First Nation in Conne River, N.L., where his own family is from, relies on transmission lines and is subject to outages since there is no dependable backup.

“To meet Canada's goal of tripling nuclear power by 2050, small modular reactors are being considered for various applications, with one being a reliable backup for small, remote communities,” says Weston. “I'm aiming to work in the Canadian nuclear energy industry to benefit — and give back — to Canadians, including Indigenous communities, since abundant clean energy improves the quality of life overall.”

Meghan Maiani

Cumming School of Medicine, Faculty of Graduate Studies

Meghan Maiani, who returned to school after 15 years as a front-line health-care worker, appreciates the support of the 2024 William H. Davies Medical Research Scholarship.

“It is very honourable for someone to donate a big chunk of money,” she says. “It really recognizes the needs of students who are trying to move forward and make society better, trying to get an education and improve their own quality of life.”

In plain terms, the award alleviates everyday costs, such as her mortgage payments, and it means she needs to pick up fewer shifts as an occupational therapist.

“The more I need to work, the longer it will take to finish my degree,” says Maiani, a PhD student in the Neuroscience program at the Cumming School of Medicine. 

“Because of the scholarship, it’s a few extra days a month that I can focus on my research. Knowing that you’re going to have a little extra income, even if it’s just for a few months, is huge.”

Maiani, now under less financial strain, is concentrating on her thesis-based project to study the vision of children who had strokes in early life, with the goal of helping them improve as they grow.

“Which is going to mean they’re better at school, and their mobility, balance and co-ordination will be better,” she says. “Any kind of leg up you can get on improved motor function is going to be beneficial.”