UWinnipeg students Robyn Grahame (left) and Lisa McFadzean both received a 2017 Gerdau North America scholarship. Photos supplied.
Two University of Winnipeg students have received significant scholarships towards their postsecondary education from Gerdau North America — a steel manufacturer with a mill in Winnipeg. Robyn Grahame and Lisa McFadzean are two of only 15 students in Canada and the United States to receive the $10,000 prize.
The award is open to all children of Gerdau employees with impressive academic records. In addition to being strong students, Grahame and McFadzean have both overcome personal barriers that have inspired them to help others.
About Robyn Grahame
Grahame is a recent graduate from Lord Selkirk Regional Comprehensive Secondary School and is about to enter her first year of pre-med at UWinnipeg. She’s looking forward to focusing on one of her favourite subjects.
“I love science, and I want to use my strengths to better society. Through medicine I can do that,” she said.
While she’s always excelled academically, Grahame has struggled with depression and anxiety throughout her education.
“It’s a huge obstacle I had to overcome but I pushed through,” she said. “I did not let my mental illness define me.”
In addition to her studies, Grahame serves meals at a local soup kitchen, fundraises for the Nova House women’s shelter, tutors peers, coaches basketball, helps with her father’s bicycle program, and volunteers at the Winnipeg Folk Festival.
About Lisa McFadzean
McFadzean is majoring in kinesiology and minoring in math at UWinnipeg. She hopes to become a physical education and math teacher with the goal of helping students who struggle in school — just as she had. When McFadzean was in elementary school, she was put in a group for students who were behind in their grade.
“I didn’t have the best experiences in school,” she said. “There were family issues going on at home. I found it challenging.”
When she got to middle school, she decided to make a change. She studied harder, became a perfectionist, and ended up taking high school math classes.
“I couldn’t control the stuff going on at home so I was able to take control of my schooling,” McFadzean said, adding that she hopes she can use her experiences to make a positive impact on students in the future. “Maybe they’ll have a better, positive experience and carry it on the rest of their lives.”
About Gerdau
Gerdau is the leading producer of long steel in the Americas, and one of the largest suppliers of special steel in the world. Gerdau’s North American operations consist of mills, recycling operations, and downstream facilities which manufacture steel products for the construction, automotive, agricultural and energy markets. Gerdau is proud to stimulate the economy with a variety of well-paid manufacturing careers, employing 9,000 people across 110 communities in the U.S. and Canada.
