Subscribe Menu

EFC Scholarship – Mihkel Jaenes

Mihkel Jaenes is one of 7 exceptional Canadian-Estonian youth to be granted a 2019 EFC Scholarship. A second-year commerce student at McMaster University, Mihkel was born and raised in Toronto but has spent significant time in Estonia. He attended TES Estonian School and is now a teacher in the TES Kindergarten and helps with the children’s day program at Metsaülikool. He speaks Estonian fluently and hopes to be able to incorporate Estonia in his future career.

On being Estonian:
,,Olla eestlane tähendab mulle palju, see on nii minu identiteet kui päritolu…[ja] on kujundanud inimese, kes ma olen…Eesti keel on minu meelest üks ilusamatest keeltest. Eesti keele oskus avab ukse paljudele võimalustele, kas või Eestis elamisele, sõprade leidmisele või laiemalt eesti kultuuri mõistmisele.“

[Being Estonian means a lot to me. It’s my identity as well as my heritage and it has shaped the person I am…. To me, the Estonian language is one of the most beautiful languages in the world. Knowing Estonian opens many doors, from opportunities to live in Estonia, make new friends or to achieve a broader understanding of Estonian culture.]

On the role of EFC:
,,Eesti Sihtkapital on tähtis ühiskonnale selle pärast, et ta annab eestlastele võrgustiku Kanadas…Sihtkapital toetab paljusid Eesti ühiskonna tegevusi…ja stipendiumid [annavad] noortele eestlastele võimaluse arendada nende haridust ja sellega võimaluse teha rohkem elus..[N]ad …aitavad väliseestlastel Eestiga sidet hoida.“

[The Estonian Foundation of Canada is important to our community because it creates a network of Estonians in Canada…[EFC] supports many activities in the Estonian community and grants scholarships to young Estonians, providing them with the opportunity to study and do more in life…[The Foundation] also helps us to stay connected to Estonia.]

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, Estonian Foundation of Canada has granted over 130 scholarships to Canadian-Estonian youth since 2003. See www.estonianfoundation.ca for details on eligibility and application dates or to make a donation to help support youth in our community.