Third-year university student Graham May will spend next semester on exchange at American University in Washington, DC.
May, who grew up in Powell River and is currently attending Mount Allison University in New Brunswick, is the recipient of the Killam Fellowship with Fulbright Canada.
“I’m really excited to be joining the strong network of Killam Fellows and to be studying in Washington next semester,” said May, who is studying international relations and environmental studies.
He is the co-founder of GrassRoutes, a non-profit organization that works to educate and support small-scale projects around environmental education and stewardship through various activities. He plans to integrate his studies with work experience. “I’m hoping to do an internship with an NGO there and get a first-hand look at environmental activism at a higher level.”
May spent part of this past summer cycling over 2,000 kilometres from Vancouver to Inuvik, Northwest Territories, with GrassRoutes to raise awareness about climate change, particularly in the North. The group organized interactive workshops with youth at communities along the route and plans to bike to the Alberta oil sands next summer.
“Mount Allison has an outstanding record of students who have received Killam Fellowships and we are pleased to announce another recipient for this latest exchange,” said Dr. Karen Grant, university provost and vice-president, academic and research. “I congratulate Graham on being named a Killam Fellow and wish him all the best in his endeavours next semester in Washington.”
Grassroots activism is nothing new for May. He is also chair of the environmental issues committee at Mount Allison and director of the Youth Arctic Coalition, a youth organization with a mandate to address environmental, economic and social challenges in the Arctic. He spent a semester in Turkey this past year where he also organized a cross-country biking tour focusing on environmental education, in addition to his studies.
“This is one of the features I’ve really enjoyed about Mount A, the opportunities to put my academics into practice,” said May. “I’ve been able to meld my academics and extracurricular activities in environmental activism and policy many times here and I’m looking forward to continuing these kinds of experiences at American University.”
May also holds the Bell scholarship, Mount Allison’s premiere entrance award, valued at $48,000 over four years.
As part of the Killam exchange, Mount Allison will also welcome an American University student, who is studying international studies and anthropology, for the winter semester.
The Killam Fellowships Program is a partnership between Canada and the United States for the purpose of education. It is an integral part of the Foundation for Educational Exchange’s strategy to foster mutual understanding between the two countries.
