Barbara Latkowski
Caledonia Courier
The Council of Forest Industries (COFI) is pleased to announce the recipients of its annual scholarships to students from the B.C. interior who have demonstrated academic success and an interest in pursuing a career in forestry.
And one of these lucky students is Kaylee Walstrom from Fort St. James.
“This is so exciting,” Walstrom said. “This was the first scholarship I applied for and I got it.”
Walstrom, who recently graduated from Fort St. James Secondary School will be studying Forestry at The University of British Columbia in September.
“I have always been forestry based. For my family it’s always been about being outdoors,” Walstrom said.
Susan Yurkovich, President and CEO of COFI is thrilled with this year’s recipients.
“Forestry has long been the cornerstone of the provincial economy. Through sustainable forest practises and new technologies, the industry continues to be one of the most significant economic drivers in the province today creating approximately 145,000 direct and indirect jobs throughout B.C.” Yurkovich said.
COFI annually awards ten scholarships of $1,000 each. Students eligible to apply must be planning to attend a post-secondary educational institution in the interior of B.C. enrolling in professional, technical or trades training to a career in the forest sector.
And for Walstrom, this is a step in the right direction.
“I will be studying forestry and by the end I’ll be a registered professional forester. This is so exciting and by the end of my studies I know that there are many different sectors of forestry that I can apply all of this to,” Walstrom said.
If she’s not snowboarding, Walstrom enjoys working for KDL in Fort St. James.
“This is my second year working for KDL. I love it. It has opened my eyes to the entire industry,” Walstrom said.
If not snowboarding, Walstrom just loves being outside and enjoying the natural beauty that surrounds her in Fort. St. James.
“This is what I want to do,” Walstrom says. “I’m so excited to see what happens.”
The Council of Forest Industries (COFI) is the voice of the B.C. interior forest industry. COFI members vary in size and produce lumber, pulp, paper, panels and engineered wood products at more than 60 facilities across the interior of British Columbia.
All share a commitment to a future based on employee safety , sustainable forestry and manufacturing practises and innovative product development.