EKO Scholar Evan McDonald

“We all need to work towards being kinder to each other and right the wrongs of the past that continue to cause harm to so many people.” Evan

Evan McDonald is honoured to be awarded the inaugural Indigenous EKO Scholarship. He feels there are not as many opportunities in the north, particularly for young Indigenous people, and this new award will encourage students to take the next step to achieve their goals. For Evan, the award supports his goal to eventually return to serve the north as a family physician, after personally experiencing the lack of physicians and specialized care in smaller northern communities.

Selected to attend the prestigious LEAP Leadership Conference at UCLA which invites only 350 participants from around the world, Evan is dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of others, especially young people, and making his community a better place.

Whether at school, playing sports or volunteering in his community, Evan has shown the same dedication, hard work and commitment to succeed. He maintained top academic marks throughout high school while also managing sports, extracurricular activities and a part-time job. He also far exceeded the minimum requirements for volunteer hours, offering over 150 community involvement hours in his final school year.

A particular highlight for Evan was volunteering at community events that benefit young children and their families, including summer sports camps and learning programs. He was also an active member of his high school’s Four Directions program, which gave him the opportunity to provide both academic and social supports and serve as a role model for his Indigenous student peers. From participating in kindergarten registration events to leading summer robotics activities, he approached each volunteer opportunity with a commitment to do whatever it took to provide the same level of care and compassion he received in recovery from his childhood injury.

Participating in CampMed through the Northern School of Medicine reinforced his desire to pursue a career in medicine and led to a scholarship to attend the LEAP Leadership Conference. This desire was further ignited by participating in the Rural Outreach and Mentorship Initiative which supports rural high school students who intend to pursue a career in medicine by facilitating mentoring relationships with students currently enrolled in medical school.

Evan is now studying health sciences at Queen’s University in Kingston, with plans to become a family physician serving Ontario’s north.