The OHDA Scholarship Fund aims to promote Highland dancing by rewarding individual dancers with a cash scholarship award. Thank you to the generous support from Jean Lesperance and family, as well as Renee Stewart, the OHDA awards two cash scholarships with the intent to promote and support Highland Dancing within the community. These annual awards are announced at the OHDA’s spring competition. In order to the eligible for these scholarships, the following is required:

  • Dancer/Family must be a current paid-up member of the OHDA
  • Dancer must have danced in at least two of the OHDA’S events in the preceding 12 months prior to the application deadline.
  • Dancers may apply directly or be nominated by another individual.
  • All written applications for the 2024 scholarships must be received by email no later than 11:59 p.m. on May 26th, 2024 to: ohda.scholarships@gmail.com

​ ***Note there are no restrictions on place of residence, and repeat winners are allowed but not in consecutive years***

The winners will be announced at the OHDA competition on Sunday, June 9th, 2024.

Evaluation Criteria for all scholarships (in order of importance, after the primary purpose of each scholarship)

  • Commitment and desire to do highland dancing, e.g. as illustrated through hours spent whether in practice or at competitions, or obstacles (physical, financial, schedule, health etc.) that are being/have been overcome.
  • Spirit of sportsmanship and friendliness; can be supplemented by being demonstrated in other activities: Guides, other sports, church.

Content of application

  • Address the relevant key words for the specific scholarship:  competitive success; competitive potential; sportsmanship; friendliness; commitment; desire; passion; fun; enrichment; hours spent.
  • Address the key words by providing examples that demonstrate the qualities or actions in the applicant; give real situations that happened, explain the circumstances; what did the applicant do or say; tell who was there and saw it and can attest to it; provide references in case the panel wants to follow up something.

Application & Selection Process

  • Dancers or their family may self-apply or someone may nominate on their behalf.
  • The onus for justification lies with the applicant/nominator, not the selection Panel.
  • The selection Panel is at liberty to make enquiries as it sees fit, to verify information submitted or gather additional information and the dancer/parent must agree to allow this.
  • No personal interview between candidates and the panel is planned, though the Panel may contact applicants if it wishes.
  • Selection Panel’s decision is final.

​Selection Panel

  • The winners will be selected by a panel of 3 people: 2 professional (teachers) and a parent.
  • Students may apply if their teacher is on the selection panel; there are no restrictions on the Panel members evaluating their own students.

​​Confidentiality

  • Information submitted will be kept confidential within the Panel and documents submitted to, or produced by, the Panel destroyed after the awards have been made. Applicants should make and keep their own copy if they wish to conserve the application. Some information will be extracted from the winners’ profiles to make the presentation and post on the website. The OHDA will be extremely proud of the winners and will wish to make the reasons publicly known.
Cailtin Stewart

​​The Cailtin Stewart Memorial Scholarship- $250

The focus of this scholarship is to recognize a dancer who exemplifies the love of dancing, fun and the enjoyment of dancing for its own sake; competitive achievement is not relevant.
Some suggestions for documenting; stories and incidents; charity or demonstration shows at churches, seniors homes, Canada Day; helping other dancers; sunny & infectious personality; leading by example within the Highland Dancing community.

Dancer may be in any category from Beginner to Premier, and of any age.

The Wendy (MacMillan) Ewart Memorial Scholarship- $500

  • The focus of this scholarship is to reward success and assist future achievement of competitive Highland dancers. Dancer must be in Intermediate or Premier.
  • Evaluation to place emphasis on the dancer’s competitive results (greater importance) than the potential success/achievement of an applicant in competition.
  • Some examples to support an application include (but are not limited to): list competition or championship results; gives statistics on how many medals and trophies won in career and especially more recently; provide exam and medal test results; include testimonials or comments from dance teachers (names please) which talk of skill and potential.

Interested in applying?

If you are applying for more than one scholarship, please complete a separate application for each scholarship.

Make sure to include your name, home address, telephone number, email address and age in addition to your dancing bio (Beginner, etc.), years dancing, OHDA member number, dates for the minimum two OHDA competitions within the last 12 months, and current and past dance teacher(s).

Typed applications are preferred, however neatly handwritten on standard 8 1/2 x 11 paper will accepted. Style may be complete sentences or point form, whatever communicates most clearly. There is no minimum number of pages, however please do not exceed 10 pages.

Please Email to apply: ohda.scholarships@gmail.com by May 26th, 2024.

Past Winners

Wendy (MacMillan) Ewart Memorial Scholarship
2001 – Tara MacInnis ($500)
2002 – Tara MacInnis ($500)
2003 – Kristen McNaule ($350)
2004 – Kalynda Conley ($350)
2005 – Kayleigh Macdonald ($350)
2006 – Kelsey Campbell ($350)
2007 – Claire Boteler ($350)
2008 – Sarah Jackson ($350)
2009 – Claire Boteler ($350)
2010 – Kelsey Campbell ($350)
2011 – Alessandra Bruce-Fuoco ($350)
2012 – Sydney Comeau ($350)
2013 – Erin Lee ($350)
2014 – Alessandra Bruce-Fuoco ($400)
2015 – Jessica Nash ($500)
2016 – Morgan MacDonald ($500)
2017 – Kalynda Conley ($500)
2018 – Jaclyn Stewart ($500)
2023 –

Caitlin Stewart Memorial Scholarship
2001 – Grace MacAlear ($250)
2002 – Laura Novitsky ($250)
2003 – Kristen Keane ($200)
2004 – Chelsea Champagne ($200)
2005 – Madison Norton ($200)
2006 – Emily Keenan ($200)
2007 – Lisa Manouchehri ($200)
2008 – Claire Boteler ($200)
2009 – Taraneh Krispil ($200)
2010 – Sara Bruce ($200)
2011 – Haley Yerxa ($200)
2012 – Alessandra Bruce-Fuoco ($200)
2013 – Madison Starnes ($200)
2014 – Sonia Mae Jason Byerley ($225)
2015 – Sarah Millar($250)
2016 – Jessica Nash ($250) and runner up Caitlin Allo ($100)
2017 – Allison Jones ($250)
2018 – Jessica Roebuck ($250)
2023 –

Margaret Anderson Rowell Scholarship
2002 – Mary Ellen Maier ($300)
2003 – Logan Green (Scholarship 1 – $100 for Pre-Premier Dancer)
2003 – Erin Mansfield (Scholarship 2 – $200 for Premier Dancer)
2004 – Hope Wilson (Scholarship 1 – $100 for Pre-Premier Dancer)
2004 – Kristen McNaule (Scholarship 2 – $200 for Premier Dancer)