Cmolik Foundation honours former Surrey Schools students with graduate scholarships

Three Surrey alumni have been awarded prestigious scholarships from The Cmolik Foundation (TCF) to pursue graduate studies in their fields of study.

Elgin Park Secondary graduate Rachel McLellan-Carich and Frank Hurt Secondary graduates Chadni Khondoker and Alissa Hewton have each received the $30,000 TCF Graduate Scholarship in recognition of the potential impact to make the world a better place through further education.

Khondoker, an award-winning graduate of UBC’s Bachelor of Science program with distinction, is pursuing a Doctorate of Medicine as part of a passion for health advocacy to empower vulnerable populations, eliminate health barriers and create inclusive communities. She is involved in women’s reproductive health research as well as leadership roles with various community organizations.

“The past few years have challenged me to think critically about issues that exist in my community and more importantly how I plan to be part of the solutions,” said Khondoker in a statement. “A degree in medicine will allow me to tend to the health of my community through eliminating health barriers, reducing suffering, and promoting wellness.”

Hewton, a recent SFU graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Linguistics with a certificate in Speech Sciences, wishes to complete her Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP), with a goal of attaining a Ph.D. in SLP.

“I plan to continue on to Ph.D. studies with hopes of creating more research opportunities and possibilities of opening more graduate programs within more universities in Canada,” stated Hewton, noting there is a shortage of SLP programs for graduate students, with just seven nationwide.

McLellan-Carich is eager to follow her B.A. in Psychology with a Master of Science degree in Pharmacology from UBC. She is interested in studying the impact of neuropharmacology, epidemiology and patient safety in vulnerable populations to improve patient quality of life. She is also passionate about understanding the neuroscience of resilience, and how a person’s unique genetic makeup influences an individual’s response to medications and treatments.

Congratulations to Khondoker, Hewton and McLellan-Carich! We wish them all the best in their graduate studies!