Carolyn Simon (Ottawa, ON)

Bachelor of Social Work, Carleton University

Impact of receiving this award:

I have written and re-written this statement several times, because words fail to convey what receiving the Trevor Harrison Civic Engagement scholarship means to me. I am truly honoured to be this year’s recipient. I am accepting this award not only on my behalf, but in memory of my mother, Phyllis Simon. She was a friend to many, a lifelong disabilities advocate, and a middle-aged college graduate, whose glioblastoma journey ended in December of 2022.

I feel fortunate to have made it to my final year of my studies, against all odds as an Indigenous student. I hope that accepting this award inspires future generations to attend postsecondary education and create change through policy.

To receive this scholarship not only eases my financial burden, but helps me carry on the legacies of Trevor Harrison and my mother, Phyllis Simon, two advocates that held that same genuine desire to kindly create change in a less-than-kind world. Though I miss her more than I can say, I know that somewhere out there, she’s cheering me on!