Congratulations to Elena Stalwick, Recipient of the Candis Graham Writing Scholarship
The Candis Graham Writing Scholarship, Lambda Foundation Fund, is awarded to students at the University of Victoria.
Lambda Foundation is grateful for the following letter of appreciation that Elena has permitted us to share.
As my first term came to a close, I felt more grateful than ever for the support provided by this award.
This year it was especially meaningful as I needed to move housing in October and the extra financial support eased some of the stress as I continued in my five courses while living through the personal changes that were happening in my life.
At UVic I have been immersed in the writing program and taking psychology courses on the side for the past few years. I originally chose UVic for two reasons. I thought I might be able to learn something and expand my mind during COVID which was, at the time, an unknowable force. Second, I came to UVic as a tribute to a friend who passed at 22 before she ever had the chance to finish her studies here. She had intended to be a writer.
This term I am enrolled in an immersive journalism class, as one of my interests in writing is in creative non-fiction.
The class was taught by Susan Olding and it was refreshingly exploratory. I wrote on topics such as tornadoes, laundromats, and getting dental implants. I was also able to partake as a liaison from the writing program this term in a virtual reality conference called PXR. At PXR I was a part of a group of students from across Canada who gathered to create an immersive theatrical experience in Virtual Reality.
This was a brand new venture for me and I loved the sense of awe, inspiration, and wonder I felt witnessing the incredible things people had created in the virtual world.
My first goals are to graduate from UVic with a BFA in writing and a BA in Psychology. After that, I plan to take a year to write and work on a book that I have had on my mind. I would like to pursue a master’s degree, but I have yet to narrow down just what I would like to study. I am the first person in my family to complete a higher education so creating this opportunity for myself is meaningful for not only me, but for the generations to come in my lineage. In the future I see myself working as a writer.
This support has contributed to my academic and artistic journey at UVic, and I can’t thank you enough.
With Gratitude,
Elena
About the Candis Graham Writing Scholarship Lambda Foundation Fund
The Lambda Foundation together with family and friends of Candis Graham have established this award in her memory. This award is one among the national series of Lambda Foundation Awards.
Candis was born on February 14, 1949 in Kincardine, on the edge of Lake Huron, and lived most of her life in Ottawa. A writer of short fiction, she successfully moved into the genres of poetry, creative non-fiction, essays, and novels, and edited innovative feminist writing. Her work has been widely anthologized. Her published books include Tea for Thirteen (1990), and Imperfect Moments (1993). In 1995, Candis began teaching writing in many different formats. On occasion, she would partner with a Yoga Instructor, creatively combining Yoga practices with practical literary instruction. She moved to Victoria, British Columbia, in 2001 where she died on November 22, 2005.
