A family legacy, a student's future
One student's story of the profound difference a bursary can make.
Originally from Taiwan, University of Saskatchewan (USask) graduate Frank Chou (BComm'23, JD'26) grew up in Fox Valley, Sask., and calls it home. During his time as a student at USask, he received the Sherman and Ena Scott Homesteaders Memorial Bursary and expressed the profound impact of that award in the letter below. Frank recently graduated with his Juris Doctor degree from USask’s College of Law and is currently articling at a law firm in Saskatoon, Sask.
A letter from Frank:
To receive the Sherman and Ena Scott Homesteaders Memorial Bursary is an honour, and words cannot fully convey the depth of my gratitude. As a third-year law student, I have found the cost of tuition to be a significant financial burden. Despite working summer and part-time jobs throughout my years in law school, I have often found myself worrying about basic living expenses, such as groceries, rent, and gas, during the fall and winter semesters.
At times, this financial pressure has been overwhelming and has taken a toll on my mental and physical health, which in turn has affected my ability to focus on my studies and my extracurricular commitments. Receiving this bursary has lifted an immense amount of stress from my shoulders. It will allow me to continue my legal education with greater focus and financial stability, without the constant need to worry about my day-to-day expenses.
Furthermore, this support will allow me to devote more time to initiatives such as access-to-justice work, an area of practice I am personally passionate about.
I am sincerely grateful for this support, and I am motivated to pay this generosity forward in the future.
Frank Chou
Recipient of the Sherman and Ena Scott Homesteaders Memorial Bursary
About the Sherman and Ena Scott Homesteaders Memorial Bursary:
In honour of his parents, Sherman and Ena Scott (nee Tenant), Vern Scott left a gift in his will to establish the Sherman and Ena Scott Homesteaders Memorial Bursary Award at USask.
Described as a “very careful and highly successful farmer,” Sherman began homesteading in the Highfield district of Swift Current, Sask., in 1905. He married Ena in 1915 and together they lived in a three-room shack before building a brick house for their family and boarders in 1918. Prior to their marriage, Ena helped her parents homestead in Roderickville, Sask.
Vern was born in Swift Current, Sask., and lived on his parents’ mixed farm until 1946 and became the first person in his family to attend university. To help fund his education, Vern and his mother raised pigs and sold pork to the Canadian Armed Forces to feed troops during the Second World War. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Commerce from The University of British Columbia in 1954, where he served as president of the Economics Society and taught ballroom dancing weekly through the university’s dance club.
Through his legacy gift, Vern continues to honour his parents' determination and hard work while creating opportunities for future students to pursue their educational goals.