Overview
Nice Day Shining Charity now grants scholarships for secondary school students entering a post-secondary fine arts program.
Jaqui McDermott Award for Education in the Arts
The scholarship is called the Jaqui McDermott Award for Education in the Arts. The $2,000 entrance scholarships are awarded directly by school boards. These include the Waterloo Region District School Board and Conseil Scolaire Viamonde.
Selection Criteria
Students are selected based on several criteria:
- outstanding demonstration of art creativity and academics,
- demonstration of financial need,
- the student is a good citizen and demonstrates a positive attitude,
- excellent attendance, and
- has not received more than one other scholarship from another institution.
Scholarship Recipients
2025
The inaugural scholarship was granted in June through the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) at the 2025 Commencement.
The scholarship was awarded to Priya Currie, an Integrated Arts Program student from Eastwood Collegiate Institute in Kitchener, ON.
Priya’s Plans and Work
Priya will attend the Ontario College of Art & Design University (OCAD U) to study sculpture and experimental animation.
“OCAD U is Canada’s oldest, largest and leading art and design university, located in downtown Toronto since 1876” (OCAD U Website).
OCAD U is home to over 4,500 students and 24 undergraduate and graduate programs. Instructors include experts in various fields and accomplished artists and designers.
Samples of Priya’s work include sculpture. sketches, and animation (still).
2026
The annual scholarship was granted in June through the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) at the 2026 Commencement.
The scholarship was awarded to Maya Poser, an Integrated Arts Program student from Eastwood Collegiate Institute in Kitchener, ON.
Maya’s Plans and Work
Maya will attend Western University’s Department of Visual Arts for the Studio Arts program.
Western University’s Visual Arts department, originally called the Department of Fine Arts, was founded in the mid-1960s. The esteemed Dr. Madeline Lennon (M. Lennon Alum Profile) was an early student in the department.
Western University is home to the state-of-the-art John Labatt Visual Arts Centre and the McIntosh Gallery, established in 1942 (McIntosh Gallery).
Maya’s work includes sculpture. sketches, and paintings. Selected works are included here.
2027
Coming next year!
Nice Day Shining Charity 