Over the last few months, we have had the opportunity to speak with three recent recipients of scholarships that the Rotary Club of Edmonton Riverview provides to students graduating from Eastglen High School.
Ilsa MacDonald (who graduated in 2024) and Korane Yassin (2025) were interviewed just prior to the start of the University of Alberta’s 2025-2026 academic year, while Lily Bamford (20250 spoke with us in December 2025, near the end of her first semester at the U of A.
All expressed appreciation for having received the $1,000 scholarship.
“I am really grateful for the Rotary scholarship,” Ilsa said.
Along with a Rutherford Scholarship from the province of Alberta and another from the Métis National of Alberta, the Rotary scholarship helped her pay for tuition and purchase textbooks and other resource materials. She estimates that her first year at the University of Alberta cost about $7,500.
Korane also expressed her appreciation for the Rotary scholarship.
“Receiving this scholarship means a lot to me,” she says. “I don’t have to worry as much about the cost of my education.”
It means she can focus on maintaining a high grade point average (GPA) and take advantage of opportunities available to her as a student at the U of A.
“I look forward to being at the university and getting involved in student activities, such as the High School Model United Nations, Rotaract and the Somali students club,” said Korane, who served on the executive of the Interact club during her final year at Eastglen.
Interact and Rotoract are Rotary International programs for high school students and for post secondary students and community members under 30 years of age, respectively. The U of A’s High School Model United Nations is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Edmonton Riverview.
Lily said that she felt honoured to have received the scholarship.
“It’s nice to be recognized in this way,” she says. “It’s really nice to know that I was thought of in this way by my teachers.”
While the scholarships are sponsored by the Rotary club, decisions about who will receive them are made by staff at Eastglen High School.
“The school selects the recipients based on the criteria for the scholarship and their knowledge of the students,” says Rotarian Dean Wood, who participated in defining the criteria for the awards.
In addition to the student’s strong academic record, consideration is given to financial need and the student’s school and community involvement.
“We also expect that the students will have a strong plan for their post-secondary studies,” Dean says. “Most have gone to the U of A, but the scholarship is available to students planning to attend any post-secondary institution.”
Recipients are invited to attend a Rotary meeting to introduce themselves and to share educational plans and career goals.
“What has impressed me is the students’ appreciation for the scholarship,” Dean says.
Lily is enrolled in a bachelor of commerce program and looks forward to a career in accounting, while both Isla and Korane have set their sights on careers in medicine, although after her first year of post-secondary study, Isla is considering her options.
“I always wanted to be a doctor, but after being at university for a year I have learned about a whole world of possibilities I wasn’t aware of,” she says.
She now sees dentistry or forensic work with the RCMP as other career possibilities.
Although most of Ilsa’s courses during her first year were in the sciences, with a major in cell biology, she was able to work a Norwegian language course into her schedule.
“This helped me to reconnect with my heritage,” she says.
Isla recalls the first month at the U of A as a time of adjustment.
“It was a challenge, just to find my classes,” she says. “It was my first time in a school with more than 1,000 students.”
It was also the first time her school was not within walking distance, which means she had to learn to navigate the transit system.
“It was great for getting to class,” she says.
Isla was in Grade 8 when her father transferred with the RCMP from Lethbridge to Edmonton.
Korane and her two sisters and a brother were all born in Edmonton after her parents moved to Canada from Somalia in 2004, a transition that was difficult at times.
“My parents had no education when they came to Canada and weren’t able to get good- paying jobs. Nothing came easy. Every day was a struggle. There weren’t a lot of jobs offered to newcomers,” she says.
Seeing how hard her parents worked inspired Korane to study diligently in high school.
“My parents worked extremely hard. They always put in their best efforts to achieve their goals.”
She recalls her parents often saying that it is important to help others. When Korane graduates, she plans to practise medicine in Canada but also hopes to work overseas.
In high school, Lily was enrolled in an advanced placement program, which she describes as “very challenging. I spent most of my time studying.”
Nevertheless, she found time to volunteer at the Whitemud Equine Centre, where she helped with the programs for children with disabilities. Her role was to walk next to the horses to help ensure the safety of the young riders.
“I love being around horses,” says Lily, who engaged in horseback riding when she was younger. “It was nice to get back into that community.”
After her first few months at the U of A, Lily says she is enjoying the experience.
“The stress level is greater than in high school,” she says. But there were people who supported her through the transition from high school to post-secondary.
The biggest difference between high school and university? “Being there is a choice. It’s not mandatory. I am there because I want to be there.