Calgary student's interest in L. M. Montgomery earns her a scholarship

A UPEI student from Calgary has won the Avery Award, a scholarship based on the award won by Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables.

This is the first year the Avery Award, previously known as the Avery Scholarship, was made available only to non-P.E.I. students at the university. Michaela Wipond is thrilled to be the first recipient from the mainland.

"It still really hasn't hit me," said Wipond.

"It was a validation of my interests. Growing up out West especially, most of the kids I grew up with didn't even know who L. M. Montgomery was, right? Didn't know there was a university on P.E.I., so that was really encouraging."

Considering post-graduate studies

The Avery Award, comes with $1,000 and a mentorship with Melanie Fishbane. Fishbane is the author of Maud, a novel based on Montgomery's life, as well as the social media coordinator of the L. M. Montgomery Institute.

Wipond is a third year UPEI student who's been a Montgomery fan since she discovered Anne of Green Gables as an 11-year-old at summer camp.

Wipond is interested in pursuing a masters degree and perhaps even a PhD on the road to becoming a Montgomery scholar.

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