Scholarship recipient pursuing her dreams

It's taken a lot of hard work and determination, but Deanna Perrault is realizing her dream of making a better life for herself and her family.
The Trent University student has had to balance pursuing a post-secondary education with the responsibilities of caring for her two children, but has risen to the challenge. Perrault, who had dropped out of high school in Grade 9, decided to go back to school in 2003. Three years later, she'd earned her diploma in Native Studies. She is currently enrolled in the university's Indigenous Studies program and plans to continue on at Trent to earn her master's degree.
On Nov. 16, Perrault's efforts were recognized and rewarded when she was presented with a $1,000 Canada Post Aboriginal Education Incentive Award, presented each year to Aboriginal people who have overcome adversity in order to further their education. Perrault was one of 20 Aboriginal students from across the country to receive an award for 2007.
"The bursary meant a lot to me. It acknowledged and recognized my own struggles with school and my determination to finish. I encourage other people who are not in school or who are contemplating school to continue on with it," Perrault said.
"Tap into your own personal power and move towards and strive towards achieving your dreams. For myself, I had to come to the realization that no one else is going to do that for me, so I had to do that. I had to be able to understand that I have survived a lot and just going through-as many people have-life's challenges. That it is really important to not give up, to not feel victimized by our circumstances; to just learn from them. To use those challenges, those experiences, as learning tools so that you can go and apply them to what you want to fulfill in your life. Never give up."