COLLEGE OF NEW CALEDONIA
CNC Civil Engineering Technology student wins B.C. Indigenous Women in Technology Scholarship

College of New Caledonia (CNC) student Michelle Lindemann has won a $10,000 Indigenous Women in Technology Scholarship from the BC Scholarship Society for her academic achievements and demonstrated commitment to a career in technology.

Michelle is a second-year Métis student pursuing her Civil Engineering Technology diploma at CNC's Prince George campus. Proud about her newfound award, she stresses that the scholarship is more than just financial support. "Scholarship programs like these will provide women with a pathway into technology programs and access to a job that is well paid and something they're truly passionate about", explains Michelle. "It's an encouragement that builds confidence and hopefully inspires other women to pursue their dreams."

Having a community of women who inspire and support each other is important according to Rory Grewar, Program Director at the BC Scholarship Society. "The Scholarship comes with an opportunity for the recipients to form a network of women pursuing similar challenging studies where they can find support and guidance as they embark on their careers. This alumni community can be one of the most beneficial features of the award."

Increasing Indigenous and female representation

Engineers Canada's 2022 Canadian Engineers for Tomorrow report found that Indigenous Peoples are still greatly underrepresented in engineering education, accounting for only 0.6 per cent of reported undergraduate students. This is only one eighth of the 4.9 per cent of people in Canada who identify as Indigenous. The same report shows a modest growth in engineering student enrolment among female-identified undergraduates in recent years (25.2 per cent in 2022).

"Technology is a combination of creativity and science. Diversity brings more ideas and improved understanding on how to approach challenges. Indigenous and female voices are critical in improving our infrastructure, economy and society", shares CNC instructor Alexander Ashton. "CNC's Civil Engineering Technology program is creating the cities, industry and transportation for the north. Graduates are involved in everything built, ranging from walkway designs to billion-dollar project flood control infrastructure that affect people's daily lives."

Anyone interested in learning more about CNC's Civil Engineering Technology program or other tech programs, can visit the College's program pages or speak to a Future Student Advisor. To learn more about Michelle's experiences in the program, read her story on CNC's newsroom.