The James Lee Foundation scholarship allowed me to continue my studies without any financial stress. I was able to focus on my school work, take the time to improve my skills and also work on my portfolio. The latter led me into getting a job at an animation studio for the summer. This amazing opportunity would not have been possible without the help of the James Lee Foundation.

The James Lee Foundation Award has allowed me to focus my energy into making my first animated short film, which has since then been part of the official selection of multiple festivals; as well as making a portfolio which led me to an internship in a dream studio over the summer.

Any recognition for doing something your passionate about is a very rewarding feeling. The James Lee foundation scholarship not only allowed me to invest in myself with the gracious award, but it has given me the motivation to continue pursuing cinematography moving forward. Since then I have landed an internship and other work that has provided me with many connections that allow me to do what I love for a living. I am extremely grateful.

I write and direct stories as a method to create meaningful dialogue on the ever-changing nature of what it means to be different. The scholarship will help me seek and engage in activities that are fulfilling and allow me to grow in new and unexpected ways. It will sustain my ability to connect and lead to the creation of a stronger identity.

As an interaction design student heading into my second year of school at Emily Carr University of Art + Design, I will be relying heavily on my laptop to finish school assignments. With money to fix my laptop or buy a new one, I will be able to pursue my degree and push the boundaries of my creativity.

With the generous help of the James Lee Foundation Award, I was able to commit myself to my graduate degree and artistic work without financial stress. I completed my Master's of Fine Arts degree earning the Governor General's Award for Academic Achievement which I credit in part to the support I received from the foundation. I am extremely grateful for the encouragement and recognition this award represents.

Winning the James Lee Foundation Award has allowed me to enroll into RED Academy’s Web Foundations course over the summer break between semesters. As a digital designer, it’s important for me to understand the environmental topography of the medium I will be designing for, so being able to cover the tuition cost for this summer program was a great addition to my design toolkit. 

I placed the scholarship reward from the James Lee Foundation into a TFSA account so that I could earn interest on it. I’ve withdrawn money as needed for basic necessities like food/living expenses and for equipment like my Intuos 4 and future tablet upgrades/repairs. Some of the money has gone into producing prints that I sell to fund my screen printing venture. I’m grateful to be able to continue my work thanks to the funds that the James Lee Foundation provided to me.

The scholarship helped me focus solely on a collaborative body of work that took 4 years to complete and helped support me as I earned my degree in Illustration at Sheridan College.

The scholarship funded my degree at Alberta College of Design where I received my Bachelor of Design.

I used the scholarship funds to pay for my tuition as well as art and music materials. The funds also allowed me to attend the New York Studio Residency Program. I am extremely grateful for these opportunities, which I could not have afforded on my own!

Funds provided allowed me to pursue a project that would later become "The Chaperone 3D" (an award winning film). It was also one of the first times someone outside of my city said "Hey! We like what you're doing, keep it up!" To this day I'm thankful for the opportunity and encouragement it provided. 

The James Lee Foundation scholarship helped me out tremendously—it allowed me to finish university on schedule. Because of the scholarship I was able to pay for my tuition without having to take time off to work. This allowed me to immediately finish my remaining courses—which included a field school program in Iceland. While there I was able to design and illustrate an alphabet book called Í fyrir Ísland (I is for Iceland), which I later published in 2012.