WELLINGTON (PEI), July 19, 2022 – The PEI French Health Network (PEIFHN) is happy to announce the recipients of its scholarships for the year 2022: Gracie Gaudet (entrance scholarship), Adèle Arsenault (scholarship for ongoing studies) and Alejandra Melo (scholarship for migrant or international students).

The names of the three winners were randomly drawn in our offices at the end of June, as part of the annual PEIFHN contest for French-speaking students, from Prince Edward Island, enrolled in a post-secondary program in the field of health.

 

Alejandra Melo – Scholarship for migrant or international students of 500$

A native of Mexico, Alejandra has been studying practical nursing at Collège de l’Île since September 2021.

Her first encounter with French happened in high school, where it was taught as a second language. Alejandra wanted to study to become a French-speaking nurse because she would like to be trilingual and thus be able to help people express themselves in different languages ​​and contexts.

Upon completing her degree in practical nursing at Collège de l’Île, Alejandra would like to work in a hospital. She also plans, after a few years, to pursue more specialized nursing studies.

 

 

 

Gracie Gaudet – Entrance scholarship of 1500$

Having just graduated from high school in French Immersion at Westisle Composite High School, Gracie will begin her bachelor’s degree in kinesiology at the University of PEI this fall.

Since she was a child, Gracie has always wanted to speak French, motivated by hearing her parents talk to the tourists to whom they rent cottages. For her, French is a language that comes naturally and that she is proud to speak.

Although she continues her university studies in English, Gracie has every intention of continuing to practise her French because she sees this second language as an important asset for her future career as an occupational therapist.

 

 

Adèle Arsenault – Scholarship for ongoing studies of 1500$ 

After completing a Bachelor of Medical Sciences at Dalhousie University, Adele will continue her studies at the University of Ottawa where she plans to obtain her Doctor of Medicine.

French is Adèle’s mother tongue. Both her parents come from the Évangeline region. She completed all her elementary studies at the François-Buote school where she had the chance to practise and improve her French.

Adèle is looking forward to studying and working in a French-speaking environment, not only to give herself the chance to keep her French, which is part of her Acadian identity, but also to have the chance to help people who only speak French or feel more comfortable speaking in French.

 

 

The PEIFHN scholarships are intended to support and promote the training of professionals who can positively influence the offer of French-language services in PEI. In addition to being able to win the scholarships offered, all applicants, with their permission, are registered in the PEIFHN health student database. Each year, the PEIFHN  sends its list of bilingual students to the Recruitment and Retention Secretariat of the Department of Health and Wellness so that it can inform these students of various internship opportunities and jobs in the province.

Applicants to the 2022 contest who wish to be eligible in 2023 must update their data in the online registration system on our website during the next school year and before the next deadline.

For more information about scholarships or the health student database, contact Annick Mondat Allemann by calling 902-854-7247 or by sending an email to info@santeipe.ca.

 

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The PEI French Health Network is a non-profit organization that collaborates with various partners in order to improve access to quality French-language health services and programs for Prince Edward Island’s Acadian and Francophone population. The organization brings together representatives from target community groups, educational facilities, health professionals, health service managers and the provincial government. It is also one of 16 networks that make up the Société Santé en français and Healthbound 2018‑2023: Toward Access. The PEI French Health Network is funded by Health Canada within the framework of the Roadmap for Canada’s Official Languages 2018‒2023.

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Media contact:   

Annick Mondat Allemann
Project and Communications Manager
Telephone: 902-854-7247
Email: annickallemann@ihis.org