Sarah Gaulin Memorial Scholarship

The Sarah Gaulin Memorial Scholarship was established in honour of Sarah Gaulin, who died at age 26 after a longtime battle with mental illness. Along with her passion for Paralympic sport, Sarah actively pursued a career in the healthcare field.

Notwithstanding her health issues, Sarah persevered and continued to attend and excel in her educational field of choice. Although she battled with mental illness, she never gave up on education and her dream of one day helping others.

The scholarship seeks to support and encourage the resilience of individuals with mental illness pursuing post-secondary education, which Sarah believed strongly in.

Students must be registered in a post-secondary institution and provide documented proof of their mental illness. The scholarship will be awarded to outstanding applicants who meet the criteria of the program.

Eligibility

• Applicants must have a clinically diagnosed mental health condition for a minimum of two years and is ongoing. Mental health conditions must be defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)
• Applicants must be actively involved in a treatment plan with a healthcare professional, post-secondary counselling department, or other recognized mental health support services
• Applicants must be registered in a program of study at an accredited Canadian post-secondary college or university.
• Applicants must be currently studying full-time and returning to full-time studies in the fall. Full-time status is at least 40% of a full course-load
• Applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada
• While the foundation recognizes the intersectionality of many conditions, this program is tailored to those with significant mental health obstacles. Applicants must demonstrate mental health struggles beyond those associated with developmental disabilities, cognitive disabilities, learning disabilities, attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Applicants with these conditions are encouraged to apply for alternate scholarship programs.

Criteria

• Demonstrated perseverance through mental health struggles
• Strong commitment to pursuing their academic career
• Potential to be an outstanding participant in the community

Value

$1,000 per scholarship.

Selection Process

Applications will be reviewed for completeness and adherence to the program guidelines. A selection committee will evaluate applications based on the criteria mentioned above.

Due to the volume of applications received, only those selected to receive an award will be contacted. Recipients will be contacted by July 1.

Application Guidelines

• All application material must be typed and submitted in a clear font, at least 12pt.
• Applications must be submitted online by the deadline (April 1 at 11:59 Eastern Time). Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted.
• Supporting documentation may be sent by e-mail or regular mail.
• Faxed applications and supporting documents will not be accepted.
• All questions must be answered completely. Information supplied for each question must not exceed the allotted space.
• Application material will not be returned under any circumstances, nor will it be used for subsequent years.
• All supporting document must be postmarked or emailed by the deadline (April 1 at 11:59 Eastern Time). Late supporting documentation will not be accepted.
• As each document is received, a notification e-mail will be sent to the applicant. Due to the high volume of documents received just before the deadline, confirmation emails will not be sent for documentation received after March 15.
• Applicants are invited to submit their application and supporting documents in English or French. Documents are reviewed by bilingual staff.
• Graduating high school students are not eligible to apply.
• Applicants must be currently registered in and returning to a full-time program of study at an accredited Canadian post-secondary college or university. Full-time status is at least 40% of a full course load.
• Reference letters must either be submitted directly by the referee by email, or be signed and scanned or sent by regular mail.

Additional requirements for finalists

• Documentation confirming an ongoing mental illness for a minimum of two years is required. Acceptable documentation includes:
  • Letter from a health care professional confirming an ongoing mental illness
  • Letter from a disability service provider (on-campus or otherwise) confirming that they have documentation on file confirming an ongoing mental illness
• Acceptable proof of enrolment includes:
  • Letter confirming registration status from the registrar
  • Student account that lists current courses
  • Class schedule
  • Transcript showing current courses
• Unofficial transcripts will be accepted as long as they include the student's name and/or student number. Unofficial transcripts must not show signs of tampering or modification in any form.