emorial is committed to guaranteeing access to the university's programs for all qualified students. To support this, a major goal of the campaign was to increase the university's scholarship and fellowship endowment so that the number and amount of awards could be brought in line with those of other Atlantic Canadian universities. The campaign has met this goal, and many new undergraduate and graduate scholarships, fellowships and bursaries are being established. In 1999-2000 a total of 459 entrance scholarships were awarded, up from 135 just four years earlier.

The growth in scholarship funding has had a significant impact on Memorial's efforts to attract top students in the province. In 1997, 39.1 per cent of high school graduates with averages of 95 per cent and higher attended Memorial. By 1999 that percentage had climbed to 74.2.

On Nov. 19, 1998, over 300 of Newfoundland and Labrador's best and brightest students were awarded scholarships, including the first awards created through The Opportunity Fund. Gregory Sparkes was one of the recipients.

Gregory, from Glovertown, received the Clarice Diamond Fry Memorial Scholarship, donated by alumnus Darryl Fry. Gregory said the $5,000 award is “a tremendous honour, of course, but it is also a great financial help.”

“I think it's very important that scholarships like this be made available to specific areas like Glovertown, where there are not too many financial opportunities, and I've written to Mr. Fry to thank him. I will certainly do my best to live up to the expectations the scholarship places on me.”

Gregory's father, Wayne, who attended the awards ceremony, set a good example for his son – he graduated from Memorial with a bachelor of education degree in 1969 and is now a high school principal in Glovertown.

Said Dad, “I always told Greg that Memorial is a great place. I encouraged him to attend university and I am so proud that his hard work has been rewarded.”