This Bradford student’s passion for green issues was rewarded with some green in the bank.
Elizabeth Simpson Hillis was selected for a $3,000 scholarship to help her study social science at the University of Toronto as part of the Municipal Retirees Organization Ontario’s (MROO) effort to award $134,000 to 44 post-secondary students across the province.
“It was so exciting. It was such an honour to be a recipient of one of the awards,” Hillis said of getting the good news in mid-October, which she happily shared with her family.
Hillis applied for the grant on a whim after it was recommended to her by her aunt, who is a member of MROO.
“I really wasn’t sure if I was going to get it or not ... but I still put my all into it,” she said.
In her second year of study, Hillis has been enjoying the opportunity to try different courses before zeroing in on social science, and expects the scholarship will help ease the worries around the sharp rise in costs, especially in the city.
“It gives me kind of an extra security blanket, so I can focus on what I truly want to do instead of worrying about how to fund school and living in Toronto,” she said.
The rental market for students was so competitive this year that Hillis couldn’t find a place to share with her roommates. As a result, the life-long Bradford resident is making the long commute each day.
That hasn’t stopped her from engaging in community service outside of class though.
Hillis is currently sharing her passion for policy as a member of Bradford’s green initiatives and Toronto’s Urban Land Institute student committees.
“Right now I’m doing a lot of work within municipal levels, especially when it comes to the climate crisis and sustainability,” she said. “It’s a lot of research and a lot of advocacy work, but it definitely pays back when you get to see the impact.”
Given her work with the committees was part of her application, and given how much she wants to work in municipalities after she completes her schooling, Hillis called the scholarship a “full-circle moment.”
MROO determined recipients based on the number of applicants and specific eligibility criteria, including the student’s leadership skills, volunteer experience, and commitment to making a difference in their communities.
“Here at MROO, we are huge supporters of education and lifelong learning. Congratulations to all our scholarship recipients this year and best of luck with your studies,” said Cindy Snider, director of the organization’s Zone 9 (which includes Bradford) in a press release.
According to the organization, MROO was created as a not-for-profit corporation in 1977, speaks on behalf of all Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS) pensioners and provides services to more than 35,000 members.
The organization claims to be the largest OMERS retiree organization and the only one with membership open to retirees from all walks of local government life.
For more information, visit www.mroo.org.
