Sharon Morrison Memorial Indigenous Education Fund

Quote from Lance Morrision, son of Sharon – “When we moved to Yellowknife 1981, we moved here with no family, no support, and little money. We lived in social housing and for many years, on social assistance. My parents were both high school drop-outs and not a lot of opportunities were available. In 1985, mom decided to make changes. Aurora College was launching a Homecare/Long-Term Care program, and Mom saw her chance to break the cycle of poverty we had always known. After graduating the program, Mom did a placement at Mary Murphy Home, than started at Stanton Regional Hospital’s Extended Care Unit, and after 35 years, she retired from Stanton in 2021. She spent those years teaching generations of nurses that came after her, and inspired many to be the best in compassionate care. 

“In her later years, she was also passionate about nêhiyawêwin, our ancestral language, and was always excited about Indigenous language and cultural revitalization programs happening in the North. Mom’s traditional name was Red Butterfly Woman and when we look at the lifecycle of the butterflu – from caterpillar to cocoon to butterfly – it represents a life of amazing transformation. Therefore, I wanted to ensure those bursaries and grants would also be transformation to their recipients. Mom would be glad her legacy can live on in these recipients for years to come. I have been overwhelmed by the amazing community support that has come from friends and loved-ones over the past few months since the fund was launched. Truly, I am grateful. kinanâskomitin.”

In order to be eligible to apply for the Sharon Morrison Memorial Indigenous Education Fund, you must be:

• A resident of the Northwest Territories for at least 12 consecutive months.
• Self-identify as a member of an Indigenous community
• Pursuing post-secondary studies in nursing or personal support work

All of our scholarship application forms and additional materials need to be submitted on our scholarship application portal. 

For students that are applying to the Sharon Morrison Memorial Indigenous Education Fund, here are some things that you will be including in your application:

• A personal essay describing your involvement in the healthcare field, your goals related to the healthcare field, and your involvement and connection with Indigenous communities
• A statement of financial need

Please keep in mind that all applications to YKCF scholarships require the applicant to submit a proof of residency affidavit (which you will be able to find when you create an account on our application portal), and a confirmation of acceptance (or a letter of admission) to a post-secondary institution.

You can apply through our scholarship application portal! 

Please note you will need to create an account, and complete our eligibility quiz to see which Fund you are eligible to apply.

If you have more questions, check back to our FAQs on our scholarship page!

The Sharon Morrison Memorial Indigenous Education Fund was established in 2022, therefore there are not yet any past recipients.