A scholarship established in memory of Maple Batalia continues to provide vital support for Emily Carr University students beginning their journeys into the worlds of art and design.

Established in 2014 by Krystal Kiran’s ‘House of Kiran’ youth empowerment program, the Maple Batalia Memorial Scholarship for the Arts provides one $1000 entrance scholarship annually to a South Asian-Canadian female student in memory of Maple Batalia — a gifted visual artist, actor, model, and aspiring doctor.

Past winners include Tanvi Kapoor, Gurjap Sidhu and Tisha Deb Pillai. For each of the first-year recipients, the fund has generously provided a well-deserved helping hand toward a career in a field Maple loved dearly.

Sept. 28 marks eight years since the multitalented SFU student was slain. In anticipation of this weekend’s remembrance of Maple, an online fundraiser led by Krystal Kiran raised an additional $1200 toward the scholarship in a bid to continue the tradition of turning tragedy into hope for young people whose passions reflect those that Maple likewise cherished.

Anyone wishing to contribute to the scholarship fund is asked to please visit Emily Carr’s CanadaHelps page and select “Maple Batalia Memorial Scholarship for the Arts” from the drop down menu.