Celebrating medical scholars

The Kateri Memorial Foundation (KMF) disbursed more money than ever before at the 10th edition of its Karonhiaráhstha Scholarship Award Ceremony last week, supporting 40 of Kahnawake’s brightest young minds as they pursue careers in the medical field.

“Everyone was so appreciative, everyone was sort of ‘as one’ that whole night and it just gives so much strength to the community,” said Emily Kane, events coordinator at KMF, who organized this years ceremony. “You realize the sacrifices they make and all the struggles and costs of being a student.”

The event featured special guest speakers including Valerie Diabo, executive director of the Kateri Memorial Hospital Centre (KMHC) and Dr. Ojistoh Horn, who is currently a family physician in Akwesasne.

A particularly emotional moment came when giving out the Dr. Suzanne Jones Memorial Scholarship, which was presented by Dr. Jones’ husband, Guillermo Cabrejo, who attended with her son and grandchildren.

Though Dr. Jones wasn’t from Kahnawake, she dedicated 35 years to serving the community as a doctor, even coming to work every day by boat during the 1990 Kanehsatake Resistance.

She passed away in December 2022.

Future doctor Craig Sky accepted her memorial scholarship this year - Sky is currently in his fourth year of medical school at McGill University and is preparing to begin his residency.

Around 125 people attended the event at the Knights of Columbus, with friends and family members of the future doctors, nurses, social workers, and more showing up to recognize their loved ones achievements.

Among those high achievers was Cameryn Meloche, who is about to start her third year of medical school at McGill University. She has long-term intentions to bring her medical knowledge back home, potentially with a focus on pediatrics.

“The scholarship really makes the financial aspect of medical school so much more feasible,” Meloche said. “It’s really stressful and it’s a lot of money, and it’s a full-time job. So to be able to have that extra cushion to be able to pay rent, to have groceries, and to live more comfortably helps.”

She said that community support of KMF initiatives shows that Kahnawake cares about investing in the next generation of medical professionals.

“We really want our people to care for our own people and that’s really how we’re going to strengthen our health care system and be more independent,” Meloche said.

“It’s really nice just to be able to see other people from the community pursuing careers in healthcare. It’s important that we take charge of our healthcare system and improve the lives of everyone in the community.”

Carla Skye is the mother of Karonhiaráhstha, who passed away as a baby in 2013 and is the namesake of the annual scholarships.

Skye has taken a step back from involvement in KMF activities, such as the annual Winter Wonderland, due to the emotional drain of reliving the grief of her family’s loss - but she said she was extremely honoured to attend the event and see the ongoing impact of the cause that she was involved in setting up. Her sister, Lisa Skye, also spoke at the event, sharing with attendees the meaning behind the awards.

“It was absolutely beautiful,” Carla said. “I’m proud of every single student, and I would like to congratulate them all for their hard work and dedication.”

While the amount of money given to students this year is not yet public, Kane said it’s the most the organization has ever given, part of an effort to continue rewarding recipients’ hard work.

“We upped the money a substantial amount, they’re getting almost close to double what they were getting before,” said Kane, who added that the increased award amount was revealed to students in their envelopes as a surprise at the award ceremony.  “We were all so focused and gave all of our energy to every student.”

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