Shelby Clairmont is getting a leg up in Canada’s rapidly expanding cannabis industry.
The 23-year old is one of 48 pioneering students in the college’s unique Commercial Cannabis Production (Graduate Certificate) program. She’s also the first recipient of the Beleave Scholarship, one of the program’s first.
The scholarship, provided by licensed cannabis producer Beleave, is based on academic excellence, and awards the recipient with $2,500 toward their tuition.
Clairmont hails from Espanola, Ontario, and holds a Bachelor of Science from Trent University, where she double-majored in Biology and Environmental and Resource Science, specializing in Health Science. She says she was attracted to the Commercial Cannabis Production program because it was a natural fit given her academic background. “When I found this program, I was so excited, because it felt like it wrapped all my interests into one,” she said.
Clairmont is appreciative of the support given her through the scholarship. “I’m so grateful that people recognize the support that students need in continuing their education.”
In addition to the scholarship, Beleave has provided placement opportunities for Commercial Cannabis Production students, and have been a strong supporter of the college since it began working on the one-of-a-kind cannabis program. Many employees are also graduates of the College’s Greenhouse Technician program.
“We are honoured to partner with Niagara College to offer this scholarship. It furthers our ongoing commitment to produce ground-breaking research and development that will drive economic growth and solve complex problems. Ms. Clairmont has shown scholastic discipline and academic excellence, and we couldn’t be happier to have her as the first recipient of the Beleave Scholarship,” said Bill Panagiotakopoulos, CEO of Beleave. “We believe that investments in education, technology, and scientific research will unlock even greater potential for the next generation of cannabis pioneers.”
Clairmont was accepted into the second cohort of students in the program and began her studies at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus in January 2019. One of the things that’s kept her on-track so far has been the diverse, yet close-knit group of students and faculty in the program. “Everybody has different backgrounds that relate in one way or another, so where some people have strengths and others have weaknesses, there’s always a balance where we can help each other out.”
That support network is something Clairmont hopes to take into her career as well. Following graduation, she would like to combine the practical growing experience she’s getting in the program with her interest in the medicinal side of the cannabis industry to grow small scale for use in clinical trials.
“It’s a really good feeling to know that we have support when we leave here, it would be nothing to call up another student, or text [program coordinator] Bill [MacDonald] and say ‘hey can you help me with this?’. It’s a good feeling.”
