Fifth-year mining engineering students benefit from mentorship, experience, and financial support from Canadian Mineral Industry Education Foundation Scholarships.
Receiving a scholarship can be the financial lifeline a student needs to cross the graduation stage, but to the 27 Faculty of Engineering students who were recently awarded scholarships from the Canadian Mineral Industry Education Foundation (CMIEF), it's about much more. It's about academic success, valuable work experience, and networking and mentorship opportunities that will impact them for the rest of their lives.
An added bonus to students who receive CMIEF scholarships is that Canadian mining "legend," Graham Farquharson, travels from Toronto to Edmonton year after year to personally hand-deliver their cheques.
Farquharson, president of Strathcona Mineral Services and chair of CMIEF, was inducted into the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame in 2010 for his many contributions to the mining industry and is well known for his role in unveiling the Bre-X gold mining scandal.
What really stands out about him to students is the personal touch he puts into getting them their scholarships. In addition to making the journey across the country, when Farquharson meets with students he knows them by name and is ready to acknowledge their accomplishments or offer advice about the industry.
John Wagner, a fifth-year mining engineering student and co-president of the Mining Engineering Student Club, laughed as he recalled Farquharson commenting, "John, your grades have gone up considerably since second year."
Wagner said he thinks all scholarships should be administered like this because it makes students feel like the reports and letters they are required to submit are valued and he knows that Farquharson and the foundation really care about his progress.
"He answers questions about the industry, gives really useful advice - he's really interested in what we're doing."
Dianne Ceniza, also a fifth-year mining engineering student, has really valued the times she has met with Farquharson. She said it is more meaningful to say thank you in person and she appreciates the fact that Farquharson let them pick his brain about the mining industry.
In addition to meeting one of the most respected Canadians in the mining industry, students who receive the CMIEF scholarship graduate with real industry experience. In order to receive the $1000.00 per academic term the CMIEF awards them, they also have to work in the mining industry.
For Wagner, the industry involvement encouraged by the scholarship and the Faculty of Engineering's mining program has made him feel better prepared for the full-time role he'll be starting with Golder Associates doing rock mechanics work in Sudbury, Ontario. He already has months of related work experience under his belt from mine planning with Suncor at Fort Hills and from a term with Nutrien, at a potash mine in Southeast Saskatchewan where he worked on rock mechanics and mine ventilation.
What impressed Ceniza about her industry experience was how engaged the mining community is. She said the industry rallies to help students find roles where they learn the practical knowledge they need before stepping into more planning-oriented roles.
During her degree, Ceniza worked doing compaction and concrete testing for Thurber Engineering, drove a mining truck for Syncrude, and conducted short-range mine planning with Suncor.
"Working at Suncor, my role really demanded me to learn quickly and to learn to problem solve. I ended up being in charge of contracts and drainage planning and was exposed to a lot of different areas."
Now that she's graduated, Ceniza is getting ready to head to Tucson, Arizona, where she will start an intensive training program with Caterpillar, learning about the different roles and operations within the company.
Students who are pursuing a mining-related career can apply for a CMIEF scholarship in their second year and can find the application forms on the foundation's website.