Joanne (Murphy) Fletcher, was born in August of 1940 in Truro, Nova Scotia. At an early age she had a great work ethic and believed that anything was possible through hard work. Many women had broken the mold and were attending university in the 1950’s and women’s athletic teams were gaining momentum in high schools and universities.
In true fashion, Joanne rose above all expectations for a woman in the 1950’s. She showed excellence in academics, placing second in her graduating class and was a member of any possible athletic team in high school.
Joanne attended Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia from 1958-1965, where she obtained a B.Sc.(1961), B.Ed.(1962), and an MA in Education (1965). While at Dalhousie, she was a member of the Basketball and Volleyball teams, and was awarded a Gold “D” for academic and athletic excellence.
Joanne was a member of the Women’s “Canada Games” Basketball team in 1963. After that tournament, retired from Basketball, but not from her athletic career. She continued to strive for excellence in all sports, especially; tennis, running and golf.
Joanne taught Science at Cornwallis Junior High for several years before staying home to raise her three children. In the meantime… her three children; D’Arcy, Bridget and Seamus, all, in their own right, were also athletes. It was through their athletic careers that she began fundraising for various non-profit teams. Swimming, a major part of her children’s lives, was where she first got her “Citrus” fundraising toes wet, with the Halifax Trojan Aquatic Club.
Joanne was heavily involved in many volunteering and fundraising activities throughout her life. During her teenage years, she was a CGIT (Canadian Girl in Training) where she made lifelong friends and learned major life lessons about serving others. She was a long standing member of the Junior League that was responsible for the new blind school in Halifax, NS. She was involved with the Heart and Stroke Foundation and in 1990, Sport Nova Scotia awarded her Volunteer of the Year.
The recipient of this scholarship should show excellence in both academics and athletics. He or she should show selflessness and willingness to help others. The recipient need not be A students but must show perseverance and hard work. Although, Joanne was most interested in Science and Education, the recipient need not be pursuing a career in either of these fields. Joanne was a supporter of the arts, loved history, politics and was a fantastic business women.
Please submit a short essay regarding a life changing experience in one’s life that has made you the person you perceive yourself to be. Tell us what your goals in life are and what goals you’ve obtained thus far that have been difficult to achieve. Joanne believed in “paying it forward”. Tell us how you will “pay it forward”, hypothetically, if you receive this scholarship.