Bursaries Help Future Business Leaders Focus on Studies

AIMCo Foundation-funded award supports Kristel Militante as she balances motherhood and pursuing her dream career.

When Kristel Militante was in grade 6, she wrote in her school yearbook that she wanted to be an accountant when she grew up.

Militante has always loved puzzles, problem-solving and even budgeting, so the career choice wasn’t a surprise to her family — which includes several accountants among them.

Now a mother of two young children herself, Militante is pursuing the Post-Bachelor Certificate in Accounting from the University of Lethbridge. With support from an AIMCo Foundation bursary, she is one step closer to achieving her childhood career aspiration.

“Financial issues are a burden for most students, so instead of focusing on studying, they’re focused on whether they have enough money. This bursary has been really, really helpful for me,” says Militante.

Militante is completing her courses at the University of Lethbridge Calgary Campus. With many courses offered in the evening, she can work during the day and take care of her children, while also pursuing her studies.

Militante has already completed an undergraduate degree in her native Philippines. She took a career break when her children were young and moved to Canada in 2023 as an international student. She hopes this certificate will help her on the path of pursuing a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation.

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The AIMCo Foundation scholarship portfolio supports more than 30 students annually at post-secondary institutions from Edmonton to Lethbridge. With an emphasis on financial education across a range of disciplines and degree types, AIMCo Foundation scholarships are empowering Alberta’s future leaders in business as they prepare for lifelong careers in fields like finance and investing. Scholarships and bursaries make it possible for students across Alberta to focus on their studies, knowing support is available to help them meet financial obligations like tuition, housing, childcare and more.

Learn more about our scholarships portfolio and browse our impact report, Empowering Access, to see all we accomplished together in 2024.