Student Bursary
This University of Calgary student inspires vulnerable youth to strive for greatness
Feb 5, 2025
Story as it appears in the
Calgary Herald
on January 23, 2025The TELUS Student Bursary has helped to clear the way for Marilou Landry to pursue her dream of ensuring a better future for the next generation of foster youth
Marilou Landry’s journey of resilience began in New Brunswick. As a teenager, she entered the foster care system, often feeling unsafe and lacking the stability crucial to her mental and physical well-being.
At 16, Landry transitioned into a program for minors living independently. Compounding the stress of living alone for the first time, she found herself struggling as she worked to juggle a job and school full-time. Landry was subsequently diagnosed with a neurological disorder, which added mobility issues to her life as a university student and impacted her ability to work to help pay for her post-secondary studies.
Despite the obstacles, Landry never lost sight of her dreams. Her primary goal was to go to university in pursuit of a career in drama therapy. Ultimately, she says, “I want to help other youth from the foster-care system learn to speak up for themselves.”
Today, with support from the
TELUS Student Bursary
, Landry, 21, is on her way to turning her long-held ambitions into reality. Now a resident of Alberta, she is an undergraduate student at the University of Calgary. “I hope to create a path that others recognize as a means of making a change for vulnerable youth,” she says.
Making a positive difference
Landry’s persistence and determination are prime reasons why she is among the nearly 1000 post-secondary students across Canada to have been awarded the TELUS Student Bursary.
The TELUS Student Bursary was launched in 2023 with a $25-million endowment gift from TELUS, and an additional $25-million fundraising commitment from TELUS Friendly Future Foundation. It’s specifically designed to support inspiring young students like Landry whose goal is to make a difference in their communities, despite significant financial barriers. The bursaries, valued at $5,000 for bachelor degree students and $3,000 for diploma students in any field of study or trade, help break down financial barriers and empower young people across Canada to achieve their full potential.
The cost of post-secondary education is a significant barrier facing tens of thousands of youths across Canada with enormous potential.
According to a 2024 Maru Public Opinion survey
, 65 per cent of Canadian students are financially unstable and nearly half (45 per cent) are unable to adequately cover basic needs like food and housing. The challenges are particularly acute for youth from the foster-care system, where only
0.8 per cent of students
complete their post-secondary education. Failing to support these bright minds affects not only their future, but reverberates through families, communities and our nation’s potential. In Landry’s case, receiving the TELUS Student Bursary gave her access to critical funding while pursuing her studies. This support became especially important given the limitations she experienced with her ability to work due to her health condition.
Bursary recipients are also given access to free mobility and discounted internet plans through
TELUS’ Mobility for Good and Internet for Good programs
, as well as mental health support through the TELUS Health Student Support app, mentoring, networking and other career development opportunities throughout their schooling and post-graduation. Today, on top of post-secondary education, Landry is in the process of founding a not-for-profit organization, Foster Empower, to support youth who age out of the foster care or group home systems. While it hasn’t officially launched yet, she and her team of volunteers aim to support youth as they manage housing, finances, access to food and other necessities, through offering baskets of essentials for youth living alone.
She envisions Foster Empower expanding to help youth secure scholarships, mentorships and career mapping services. Landry’s experiences with mental-health challenges as a youth in care have also inspired her to create programs that serve youth in need of therapy — an extended opportunity to apply her education from the University of Calgary.
“Having the ability to create the support programs I wish I had growing up means the world to me,” she says. “So many youths in care end up in extreme poverty or facing addiction issues, but they don’t have to. The TELUS Student Bursary has created possibilities for me to make a difference for the next generation of foster youth. I may not have all the answers, but I can help similar people feel a little less alone and find renewed hope for their future dreams.”
Help more students achieve their dreams and give back to the community. Learn more or donate at
friendlyfuture.com/bursary
. The next TELUS Student Bursary application window will open in Spring 2025.
