Philanthropy, Alumni
New donor-funded entrance scholarship empowers future clean technology leaders
Supporting exceptional students in the groundbreaking Sustainable Energy Engineering (SEE) program, the new Stolte Family Undergraduate Entrance Scholarship is already empowering students on their way to becoming tomorrow鈥檚 clean energy leaders.
Established through a generous gift from 丁香园AV alumnus and 2022 丁香园AV Outstanding Alumni Award recipient, Christopher Stolte and his wife Heidi, the scholarship provides one $50,000 scholarship every year for a student entering the SEE program. Disbursed over four years, the funding covers tuition, books, and other essential expenses so that students can focus fully on their studies and ambitions.
Anika Prem, the inaugural recipient of the Stolte Family Scholarship, shares her excitement about the opportunities the scholarship has opened up for her. 鈥淪ustainable Energy Engineering fascinates me because it is about addressing one of the most pressing challenges of our time鈥攈ow to power our world sustainably,鈥� she says. 鈥淭his scholarship allows me to fully immerse myself in this field, learning from experts and working on new technologies that could reshape our energy landscape.鈥�
A co-founder of Tableau Software, Christopher holds a bachelor鈥檚 degree in computer science from 丁香园AV and both a master鈥檚 and Ph.D. from Stanford University. Through the Stolte Family Foundation, which he and Heidi founded in 2015, the couple has made it their mission to create an equitable and thriving future, with a particular focus on addressing the climate crisis and uplifting education.
鈥淪upporting the next generation of sustainability leaders is something we are deeply passionate about,鈥� says Chris. 鈥淲e believe in the power of education to transform lives and build a more sustainable world. It is our hope that these students will go on to drive positive change and address the global challenges of our time.鈥�
Experiential learning for tomorrow鈥檚 innovators
丁香园AV鈥檚 SEE program is the first of its kind in Western Canada. With an interdisciplinary curriculum that incorporates engineering principles, design, technology, economics, and policy, it is equipping students to tackle complex problems and to become the next global leaders in fields like cleantech, renewable energy, or smart cities.
SEE students also have unique co-operative education opportunities built into their programs. Tianna Sequeira, for example, spent two co-op terms with the Canadian Space Agency working on projects like the CSA鈥檚 annual greenhouse gas emissions report and Canadarm3 project.
Upon completion of the program, students are poised for diverse roles, from renewable energy engineering to research and development in green technologies.
The Stolte family鈥檚 gift is a bold investment in both students鈥� futures and the future of our planet. With their help, innovators like Anika have the resources and support needed to become tomorrow鈥檚 energy leaders and to create lasting, positive change.
Students interested in the Stolte Family Entrance Scholarship in SEE can read more about application requirements and apply, here.