As part of our 30th anniversary celebration last year, Prism staff voted to fund the Langara 49 Women in Science Scholarship program. This scholarship program provides philanthropic support, resources, and mentorship to prepare female students for a successful STEM career. The Prism Engineering Award was established last year as part of this program.

We are proud to congratulate Aislinn Kiel as the first successful recipient of this award for 2021. Aislinn is an Engineering student who demonstrates a passion and commitment to sustainability not only through her studies, but through a produce preservation program she co-founded in 2018. In a single year of operation, Aislinn and her teammates redirected over a thousand pounds of food from landfills and provided hundreds of meals to those in need.

“Every week we collected approximately 80 pounds of unsellable and excess fruits and vegetables from produce distribution companies and green grocers around Vancouver. This unwanted produce was then dehydrated and turned into healthy snacks available for sale to the community.

The profit from our program allowed us to support our community-focused ‘Food Share Program’ where leftover food from large events, such as banquets or conferences, was collected and delivered to homeless shelters and modular housing locations across Vancouver.”

Aislinn is currently working towards an Applied Science Diploma and aims to continue her studies in engineering or sustainability.

“I spend a lot of time worrying about my studies. I want to do well and put in a lot of time and effort. Being selected for this scholarship has given me such a boost of motivation and confidence as well as financial relief. It has been amazing to know that my work is being appreciated and recognized and that someone believes that its worthwhile to support my academic goals.”

It is extremely encouraging to learn about the work students like Aislinn and her peers are doing to reduce waste and support the more vulnerable in our community. We wish Aislinn the best of luck in her future endeavours.

Learn more about the Langara 49 Women in Science Scholarship program here.