Helmi Hess - 2020 EFC Scholarship Recipient

Helmi Hess is one of 2 Estonian-Canadian graduate students who received a 2020 EFC Scholarship with funding from the Vilma and Heinrich Blum Scholarship Fund. Currently completing an MSc in Forestry from UBC, Helmi’s Master’s thesis investigates the effects of selenium in aquatic ecosystems in the Rocky Mountains of BC (an aftereffect of coal mining). After weeks in the field trekking through rivers in the mountains, catching birds and collecting blood samples, Helmi is writing her thesis which she hopes to defend by April 2021.

Helmi also has a BSc in Biomedical Science. In fact, Helmi was planning for medical school when a research scholarship working with baby birds in the Bay of Fundy changed her life. Today Helmi’s goal is veterinary school after which she hopes to work in the Arctic to study climate change effects in animals.

After a childhood embedded in the Estonian community including TES language school and choirs, guides, and summers at Seedrioru and Joekaaru, Helmi continues to be incredibly active - in choir, Korp! Amicitia, Seedrioru and teaching at the Hamilton Estonian School.

On being Estonian

[E]estlus on minu jaoks oluline sest see on minu minevik, olevik ja tulevik. Eestlus on alati voolanud minu soontes. See on alati minuga, ükskõik kuhu lähen, ja kodu kuhu saan alati tagasi tulla. Eestlus on õpetanud mulle vastupidavusest, traditsioonide pühitsemisest ja kogukonna väärtusest—tunnid, mida ma kindlasti oma lastele edasi annan.

On EFC:

Eesti Sihtkapital Kanadas on meie seltskonnale tähtis, et kindlustada Eesti kultuuri tuleviku Kanadas. Ilma rahaliste vahendite asjakohase eraldamiseta, lakkaks olemast meie vanavanemate loodud tegevused, üritused ja rühmad. Eesti kogukond saab raha annetamiseks ja raha palumiseks pöörduda ühele tsentraliseeritud organisatsiooni poole, kuna ESK on tuntud ja usaldusväärne... Õnneks on ESK lugupeetud sihtasutus, mille kaudu inimesed saavad kogu Eesti kogukonda toetada.