The University of Alberta Faculty of Law is pleased to announce that one of its law students, Sarah Menzies, who will be going into 2L in September, is the recipient of a prestigious AIPN scholarship, for the 2013-2014 academic year. The competition includes all the law schools in Western Canada and the Western United States.
Annually, the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators (AIPN) sponsors scholarships awarded to students who demonstrate strong character, academic ability, and potential to make a significant contribution to the field of international oil and gas negotiations. This scholarship has been created in honor of one of AIPN's founding members, Gordon Barrows.
"I feel so excited and honoured to receive the AIPN Scholarship for 2013-2014," Sarah Menzies exclaimed. "This is such an abundant blessing that relieves a great chunk of the financial burden I have been dreading for the upcoming academic year. Thanks to the generosity of the AIPN I will be able to spend less time worrying about money, and more time studying the Law!"
This year, 28 outstanding students submitted applications and 14 deserving students received scholarships. The recipients will receive a $5,000 scholarship for the 2013-2014 academic school year.
Sarah filled in the AIPN application with her personal and academic information including her LSAT score, her Faculty of Law grades from the year, a list of courses she'd taken that related to oil or gas or negotiation skills, and a list of classes she intend to take in the future relating to these areas. Sarah was also asked to list all her college extra-curricular activities or volunteer activities -- she has done quite a range of volunteering over the past couple years, mostly ranging from volunteering at Church, musical involvement (she plays saxophone and sings), and volunteering with children and the elderly. Finally she wrote a short essay on how she had developed an interest in the oil and gas negotiations field, and how she intends to contribute.
"I heard about the scholarship opportunity via an email that was circulated throughout the law faculty, and the AIPN briefing document said they were looking for students who possess the potential to make a contribution to the field of international oil and gas negotiations, exhibit academic, leadership, and negotiation ability, and exhibit financial needs," Sarah remarked. "I felt that I ticked most those boxes so figured I'd give it a shot!"
Sarah explained that this AIPN scholarship has come at a particularly opportune time for her as she is hoping to do an exchange semester at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands, in the 2014 Spring semester. The scholarship will make this exchange financially viable. As an international student, Sarah has a great interest in working in international negotiations.
"I am both a Dutch and Canadian citizen, and my undergrad degree is in Business and Political Science," Sarah said. "Coupled with my Law Degree, this will hopefully equip me for a role in international negotiations. As Alberta and the Netherlands both play an important part in the world's oil and gas industry, I feel that this is an area I am very well suited for."
"Sarah joins a number of other U of A students who have won major international awards for their work in Oil and Gas Law in recent years, competing successfully against top students from across the Western United States and Canada," said Professor David Percy.
For further information on AIPN and their scholarship opportunities: AIPN