AFOA Canada Continues To Create Pathways

AFOA CANADA CONTINUES TO CREATE PATHWAYS

The 2018 Nutrien Indigenous Youth Harvard Scholarship Award

Jodie Wells is the possible envy of Canada’s young Indigenous academic achievers. That’s because Wells, a member of the Qalipu First Nation in Newfoundland, was recently chosen as the recipient of a Harvard University Business School scholarship sponsored by Nutrien (www.nutrien.com), to attend a business school program starting in May 2018.

“This is a real dream come true for me and my community. The experience and training I will receive from Harvard will greatly assist me, my First Nation and entrepreneurs and small businesses which are the backbone of our communities in Newfoundland,” Jodie Wells said.

AFOA Canada (formerly Aboriginal Financial Officers Association of Canada) was founded as a not-for-profit association nineteen  years ago in 1999. The organization is designed to help Indigenous people better manage and govern their communities and organizations through a focus on enhancing finance, management and leadership practices and skills. AFOA Canada is now the centre for excellence and innovation in Indigenous finance, management and leadership training. AFOA Canada’s primary mission is to build a community of Indigenous professionals.

To help meet this mission, AFOA Canada relies on not only good corporate partners like Nutrien, but the guidance of its leaders and Elders throughout the country to provide experience, knowledge and wisdom to the development of programs like Harvard. Chief Clarence Louie has been a strong supporter of AFOA Canada and has played a pivotal role in the organization’s overall direction and mandate.

“Partnerships with prestigious educational institutions like Harvard University is an extremely important and necessary step towards our overall self-determination as people and nations. This distinctive experience will demonstrate that First Nations, especially through our youth as we prepare for our seventh generation, will be ones managing prosperity rather than poverty,” Chief Louie said.

High achievers like Jodie Wells is becoming a common example of Indigenous youth in Canada who are technologically suave, digitally connected, educated and ambitious. Wells herself is the Comptroller at her First Nation band administration, beginning as a Financial Officer.

“The Harvard Scholarship is a reward and blessing for me and my community. The skills and experience will be shared with the community. I want to thank Nutrien and AFOA Canada for their support for this program and opportunity,” Wells concluded.

The Nutrien Indigenous Youth Harvard Scholarship Award provides a scholarship annually to an Indigenous youth who meets the grades and stringent criteria to attend the Harvard University Business School Certificate program. Go to www.afoa.ca for more information.

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For more information contact:
Terry Goodtrack
President and CEO
AFOA Canada
613.722.5543
www.afoa.ca

 

The 2018 Nutrien Indigenous Youth Harvard Scholarship Award

Jodie Wells is a Mi’kmaq woman from the town of Hughes Brook, Newfoundland and is part of the Qalipu First Nation. Jodie grew up in a small area but has always had big dreams of business and entrepreneurship. Jodie attended Grenfell Campus of Memorial University and received a Bachelor of Business Administration in 2011. From there, she was hired at the Qalipu First Nation as a Financial Officer and started working towards completing her CMA, completing the designation in 2015. Shortly after, she was promoted to Manager of Finance, adding more supervisory roles. Recently she received another promotion to the position of Comptroller, which added even more responsibility in directing the annual budget process and supporting the strategic planning process. Working for the First Nation has provided many opportunities for Jodie to give back to her community. She is excited for the opportunity to learn and to bring back important knowledge to her Band.