Victoria Johnson Memorial Student Aid Fund

Award Overview

Value of the award:: Variable
Number of awards:: Variable
Award frequency:: Variable
Level or program of study:: Undergraduate and graduate
Application Type:: Candidates must apply directly to the department.
Renewable:: No

Purpose of this Award

Financially support a student from the Telfer School of Management who has a physical, psychological or learning disability. The fund is intended to respond to a need or a setback that arises during the school year.

Eligibility Criteria

The candidate must:

be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, a person with the protected/refugee status or an international student
be registered as a full-time student in a program at the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa
be a student who has a physical, psychological or learning disability. The fund is intended to respond to a need or a setback that arises during the school year

How to Apply

Candidates must apply directly to the department.

A completed application form (available at the Student Services Centre of the Telfer School of Management) and a medical certificate as proof of eligibility must be submitted to the Director, Student Services Centre, Telfer School of Management. Any student who wishes to have help completing the application form may make an appointment with a Student Advisor in the Student Services Centre.

About this Award

This fund was established in the memory of Victoria Sian Johnson who passed away unexpectedly from complications arising from epilepsy in September 2014. Victoria graduated from the University of Ottawa with a degree in International Development and Globalization in 2010. Three years later, she returned to the University of Ottawa and enrolled in the Telfer School of Management to pursue a Bachelor of Commerce degree with a specialization in Accounting. During her all too short life, she faced more than her fair share of medical issues (at age 6, cancer and the effects of chemotherapy, and when she was 19, the onset of epilepsy) and, like many of her generation, the frustration of working hard for a degree and finding no work at the end of it. Each time, she gathered herself and moved forward without ever losing the sweetness, sense of humour and compassion which defined her character.

More than anything else Victoria wanted to live like anyone else, and to all outward appearances, she did so. This masked the effort that she put in every day to deal with the anxieties arising from her medical issues as well as dealing with the normal everyday stresses and strains of being a student. Her personal experience with these matters and her understanding of how they could undermine a person's ability to succeed made her willing to help when she could.

This fund is in memory of her compassion and her bravery.