Congratulations to our 2024-2025 Scholarship Recipients

We are thrilled to introduce our 2024-2025 ABBI Scholarship Recipients! Each student has demonstrated incredible bravery, strength, and perseverance in pursuing their passions in post-secondary education. We wish you all the best in your future endeavors! 🌟🎓

Jessica is a courageous pediatric brain tumor survivor with a profound commitment to healthcare and disability advocacy. Diagnosed in 2015 with a large central neurocytoma, Jessica faced a series of personal and familial health crises, including the loss of her grandfather and her grandmother’s battle with brain cancer. These experiences, combined with her own surgery-related right-sided hemiplegia and aphasia, forged her resilience and determination.

Her recovery journey led her to Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, where she emerged as a dedicated advocate for disability rights. Jessica’s advocacy began with a powerful TEDx talk in high school and evolved through her active participation in the hospital’s Youth Advisory Council (YAC), where she has held progressive leadership roles, including chairing the council. Her efforts extend to fundraising for the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada and contributing to the hospital’s Youth Engagement Strategy.

Jessica’s work is driven by her lived experience, and she is committed to improving healthcare and disability services through authentic youth engagement and innovative research. As she continues her education and career in healthcare, Jessica remains a beacon of hope and a role model, shaping new possibilities in health and disability care. Jessica will achieving a Speech-Language Pathology Degree at the University of Toronto. We congratulate you and wish you all the best in the future!!

Ann-Marie is an aspiring student who will soon be pursuing a BA in Creative Technologies at the University of Regina. Her journey to this point has been marked by a series of significant health challenges that have shaped her path and aspirations.

From a young age, Ann-Marie’s life was defined by a love for fun and adventure, but this changed dramatically after a series of concussions from various activities, including trampoline falls, gym class accidents, and sports injuries. These concussions led to post-concussion syndrome by university, profoundly impacting her daily life and well-being.

Her health journey took another turn when, at age 12, she began experiencing severe headaches and hallucinations, leading to a hospital stay. By age 15, the headaches intensified, prompting further investigation that revealed Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which required chemotherapy. Ann-Marie’s struggles continued with new symptoms, including tics, and by age 16, an MRI identified a white matter lesion in her brain. This diagnosis was followed by episodes of full-body paralysis, a 10-day hospital stay, and a diagnosis of Functional Neurological Symptom Disorder.

Despite these challenges, Ann-Marie’s experiences have fueled her passion for concussion prevention and safe return-to-play practices. She has undertaken online training through the National Coaching Program’s “Making Headway in Sport” to help others avoid similar struggles. Her resilience and determination drive her to use her experiences to make a positive impact in the field of Creative Technologies and beyond.

Congratulations Ann-Maire on becoming an Achieving Beyond Brain Injury recipient! We wish you all the best in the future!”

Madison is a driven mechanical engineering student at Ontario Tech University with a compelling personal journey with brain injury. Despite facing multiple challenges, Madison’s resilience shines through. She views each challenge as a stepping stone that has shaped her path. As an active volunteer, Madison holds significant roles, including VP of Social Media Marketing and External Affairs for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Vice Chair for American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Presidency for Women in Engineering. Her goal is to leverage her experiences with traumatic brain injury to inspire and lead other young women with disabilities in STEM, embodying strength and determination in her field.

Congratulations Madison on being one of Achieving Beyond Brain Injury’s Scholarship recipients! We wish you all the best in your future endeavors!