Local scholars start university this week with support from CFUW

September 10, 2026 · 0 Comments

As students return to classrooms this week, recent graduates are beginning their post-secondary careers this month with some extra support from the local community.

This year, the Aurora-Newmarket branch of the Canadian Federation of University Women provided $57,500 in scholarship funds to 10 York Region students, including three from Aurora, embarking on the next chapters of their educations.

This year’s recipients include Maria Teresa, a recent graduate of ESC Renaissance, who is now studying Criminology at York University with a goal to become a Crown Prosecutor; Patien from St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic High School, who is pursuing her goal to become a lawyer, studying Criminal Justice and Public Policy at the University of Guelph; and Sunny, a graduate of Dr. G.W. Williams Secondary School, who is now studying Life Sciences at the University of Toronto to pursue research opportunities.

Additional awards were presented to students supported by Rose of Sharon Services for Young Women, and a student entering her second year at Seneca.

“Our goal is to empower and invest in young women. Supporting these students brings long-lasting benefits back to our communities,” said Janice Van Dyke, President of the CFUW Aurora/Newmarket Charitable Trust.

Since 2016, the CFUW Aurora/Newmarket Charitable Trust has presented 164 young women with post-secondary scholarships totaling over $379,250.

The CFUW scholarship program is made possible through private donations and key fundraising initiatives.

For the past five years, the club’s signature Come Be Inspired Home and Garden Tour has substantially expanded the number and monetary value of awards offered to local students. Since 2023 alone, the tour has raised over $136,000 for the scholarship fund. The fifth annual tour, held earlier this year, generated over $24,000 in proceeds to fund student awards for 2027.

In addition to individual donations and proceeds from the Home and Garden Tour, these scholarships were made possible through key community partnerships and promotional initiatives. The trust acknowledges funding contributions from RBC Wealth Management, the presenting sponsor of the club’s home tour, Market Brewing Bingo, The Giving Shop at Oakridge’s Fashion, The History Hound (historian Richard McLeod) and promotional campaigns with Ghost Taco and Ground Burger Bar.

“The community support for our Home and Garden Tour, along with business partnerships and donations to the Charitable Trust, allows us to expand opportunities for young women,” said Elisabeth Lion, Chair of the Trust’s Award Committee. “By removing financial barriers, their lives and futures are forever changed.”

While this year’s scholarship recipients are already making good use of their money, the CFUW has a busy season ahead of engagement and raising money for graduating students of the 2026-2027 school year.

Now through September 30, Newmarket’s Ground Burger Bar is hosting a “GRAD Burger” promotion where $5 from each burger directly supports the 2027 Scholarship Fund.

The Club formally launches its season with an Open House on September 22 at 7 p.m., followed by the start of its Speaker Series on October 27.

Later on in the fall, the CFUW will support Yellow Brick House’s Break the Silence Walk, while on November 25, International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the group will take part in 16 Days of Advocacy Awareness of Gender-Based Violence while lighting Aurora Town Square in purple from 6 – 10 p.m. to mark the day.

Further events will include an International Women’s Day gathering on March 8, 2027, followed by their signature fundraiser, their annual Home & Garden Tour, on June 13.

For more information on these and other CFUW initiatives, visit www.cfuwauroranewmarket.com.

By Brock Weir