ISSofBC Bursary Awards 2024

Arbutus Financial provides comprehensive financial services to businesses, non-profit organizations, and individuals to achieve peace of mind through financial confidence. Arbutus Financial established this bursary for newcomers to provide financial assistance towards their education, which will allow them to reach their career goals. 

The $2,500 Arbutus Financial Bursary is awarded to an eligible recipient who is a current or former ISSofBC client, student, or volunteer within the past three years and requires financial assistance to pursue their chosen course of studies. 

De Jager Volkenant provides a comprehensive range of legal services to meet the special needs of charities and non-profit organizations and to help them achieve their unique purposes. Their experienced team of lawyers and staff understand the challenges of its non-profit sector clients, which are often dependent upon volunteers with limited time and resources.   

De Jager Volkenant Bursary of $2,500 is presented to one eligible recipient who is a current or former ISSofBC client, student, or volunteer within the past three years. The bursary is designed for students who are enrolled in legal studies and aim to pursue a career in the legal sector. 

For more info, please click here.  

Dr. Andrew Chan came to Canada in 1972 and obtained his Dentistry degree from the University of Toronto. Dr. Elaine She came to Canada in 1974 and obtained her Dentistry degree from the University of British Columbia. Both are now retired and are enjoying lots of traveling, as well as golfing, hiking, and volunteering in between. 

The Dr. She and Dr. Chan Bursary of $5,000 is presented to two eligible recipients ($2,500 each) who is a current or former ISSofBC client, student, or volunteer within the past three years and requires financial assistance to pursue their chosen course of studies. 

For this new bursary, various staff members at ISSofBC contribute toward this $2,500 bursary in support of the post-secondary education aspirations of the recipient. 

Supporting Donors include: 

• Jonathan Oldman 
• Anonymous supporting donor 

This bursary is named for Jim Tallman, a former long-serving ISSofBC Board member, and volunteer. ISSofBC is proud to present this bursary to support newcomers pursuing their post-secondary education in an accredited institution in celebration and recognition of Jim’s service to ISSofBC and its mission. 

Supporting donor:

• Grossman and Stanley Business Lawyers

The Jim Tallman Bursary of $2,500 is presented to one eligible recipient who is a current or former ISSofBC client, student, or volunteer within the past three years and requires financial assistance to pursue their chosen course of studies. 

Michael Danchuk, a financial consultant with Investors Group, has been a strong supporter of various community initiatives and has actively contributed his time, energy, and resources to furthering the goals of these initiatives. He established this bursary as part of his commitment to helping newcomers settle in Canada. 

The Michael Danchuck Bursary of $2,500 is presented to one eligible recipient who is a current or former ISSofBC client, student, or volunteer within the past three years and requires financial assistance to pursue their chosen course of studies.

MNP is one of Canada’s leading professional services firms proudly serving individuals, businesses, and organizations since 1958. Through the development of strong relationships, we provide client-focused accounting, consulting, tax, and digital services. Our clients benefit from personalized strategies with a local perspective to fuel success wherever business takes them. MNP is a “Made in Canada” firm with made in Canada values. Values like exemplifying integrity in everything we do, conducting ourselves with humility and respect, and embracing the communities where we live, work and play have guided our compass for over 60 years. They’re the bedrock that keeps us grounded; the character that keeps us honest and the purpose that keeps us focused.

MNP LLP Bursary of $2,500 is presented to one eligible recipient who is a current or former ISSofBC client, student, or volunteer within the past three years and requires financial assistance to support further education in a business-related program and has a strong commitment to their community.

Pietro Widmer grew up and completed his studies in Electrical Engineering in Switzerland and immigrated to Canada in the mid-seventies. He has twenty-year experience in project and operation management and is now dedicating significant time to volunteering including a leading role with pm-volunteers.org. 

Renée Van Halm grew up in Vancouver after emigrating from Holland with her parents in the early fifties. She is a practicing visual artist with work in major public, private, and corporate collections across the country including the National Gallery of Canada and the Vancouver Art Gallery. Her most recent solo exhibition called Nudge was held at the Equinox Gallery in Vancouver. 

Pietro Widmer and Renée Van Halm Bursary of $2,500 is presented to one eligible recipient who is a current or former ISSofBC client, student, or volunteer within the past three years and requires financial assistance to pursue their chosen course of studies. 

Jennifer Natland is the Past Chair of the ISSofBC Board of Directors. She is also Vice President Real Estate for the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority and a Registered Professional Planner. Earlier in her career, Jennifer worked in community planning for the City of New Westminster. 

Jennifer has been involved with ISSofBC since 2017 when she and her family began volunteering as settlement mentors. In other volunteer roles, Jennifer served on both the alumni council and Council of Advisors for Simon Fraser University’s Urban Studies program from 2012 to 2020. She also served as a commissioner and Vice-Chair of the Vancouver City Planning Commission from 2010 to 2012. 

Jennifer Natland Bursary of $2,500 is presented to one eligible recipient who is a current or former ISSofBC client, student, or volunteer within the past three years and requires financial assistance to pursue their chosen course of studies. 

Sasha Ramnarine is a Business Lawyer with Remedios and Company helping local and international entrepreneurs and small businesses establish themselves in British Columbia. Sasha is a strong supporter of the business and newcomer communities. He is also a current ISSofBC Board of Directors member.

The Sasha Ramnarine Family Bursary of $2,500 is presented to one eligible recipient who is a current or former ISSofBC client, student, or volunteer within the past three years and who requires financial assistance to pursue their chosen course of studies.

The Stocking & Cumming, Chartered Professional Accountants was established in 2009. Its predecessor firms had 25 years of history in Langley and White Rock as well as the surrounding community. Craig Stocking and Jeff Cumming have both worked for many years with large multinational firms and have experience in a variety of industries.

The Stocking & Cumming Bursary of $5,000 is presented to one eligible recipient who is a current or former ISSofBC client, student, or volunteer within the past three years and requires financial assistance to support further education in business-related studies. 

Priority will be given to the applicants who demonstrate commitment to community service, including supporting youth sports. 

Thrive Refuge is a student-led non-profit organization established in Vancouver, British Columbia. It seeks to provide incoming refugees access to musical education in Canada. As humanitarian crises and challenges remain prevalent in third-world countries, Thrive Refuge’s mission is to provide those refugees with the aspects of life often overlooked in such situations: music. 

The Thrive Refuge Bursary of $2,500 is presented to one eligible recipient who is a current or former ISSofBC client, student, or volunteer within the past three years and requires financial assistance to pursue their education in an accredited music-related program. 

Wolfgang Strigel grew up in Munich, Germany. In the mid-seventies, he relocated to Montreal to complete a M.Sc. in Computer Science at McGill. He worked for 15 years in software development, completed an MBA degree at SFU and started two software companies. Since selling his companies in 2007, he volunteered as a mentor for over 60 companies in Canada and internationally. 

Wolfgang Strigel Bursary of $5,000 is presented to one eligible recipient who is a current or former ISSofBC client, student, or volunteer within the past three years and requires financial assistance to pursue their chosen course of studies. 

Roper Greyell LLP was founded in 2006 by lawyers from two leading employment and labour law practices in British Columbia. Today, we are one of the largest employment and labour law firms in Western Canada, with over 50 workplace lawyers serving clients in virtually every sector of the economy, including some of the largest and most sophisticated private and public sector employers in British Columbia and across Canada. Since 2012, we have been named by Canadian Lawyer magazine as one of the Top 10 Labour and Employment Boutique law firms in Canada. 

Roper Greyell LLP Bursary of $2,500 is presented to one eligible recipient who is a current or former ISSofBC client, student, or volunteer within the past three years. The bursary is designed for students enrolled in legal studies and aiming to pursue a career in the legal sector. 

Founded in 2001, Nucleus is a Canadian Managed IT Services Provider (MSP) focused on providing supercharged IT services to small and medium sized businesses across Canada. As of July 2022, Nucleus is a team of 80 with a head office in Vancouver, BC and team members across the country and across the globe. For more info, please click here. 

Elevate your Education Bursary, Powered by Nucleus, bursary of $2,500 is presented to one eligible recipient who is a current or former ISSofBC client, student, or volunteer within the past three years and requires financial assistance to pursue their chosen course of studies. 

In memory of their father, the Taheri family is proud to establish the Homayoun Taheri Bursary. This bursary honors his unwavering commitment to education and empowerment, particularly for women-identifying individuals with refugee lived experiences. It is designed to help them overcome barriers and pursue their educational aspirations, continuing their father’s legacy of compassion, philanthropy, and transformative impact. Recipients are empowered to build brighter futures and contribute meaningfully to their communities through this initiative.

Homayoun Taheri Bursary of $2,500 is presented to one eligible recipient who is a current or former ISSofBC client, student, or volunteer within the past three years and requires financial assistance to pursue their chosen course of studies. 

The Paslar Family Bursary was established by the Paslar siblings, who immigrated to Canada from Dubai in 1995. Originally from Iran, the four siblings, having built their own careers and young families, are deeply committed to supporting newcomers in their educational pursuits. Their collective experiences have shaped their values and instilled in them a profound appreciation for the power of education. This bursary aims to provide financial assistance to newcomers pursuing higher education, alleviating some of the financial burdens and enabling them to focus on their academic and personal growth.

Paslar Family Bursary of $2,500 is presented to one eligible recipient who is a current or former ISSofBC client, student, or volunteer within the past three years and requires financial assistance to pursue their chosen course of studies. 

Steve and Jacqueline Rad Bursary of $2,500 is presented to one eligible recipient who is a current or former ISSofBC client, student, or volunteer within the past three years and requires financial assistance to pursue their chosen course of studies.