Keili Moore is an Estonian-Canadian university student who received a 2020 EFC Scholarship with funding from the new Martin & Heljo Mäeks Fund. Keili is currently in the final year of a B.A. in International Development with a minor in Psychology at McGill University. Her degree and rewarding volunteer experiences at home in Canada and internationally in Lima, Peru and Accra, Ghana, have helped Keili make ambitious plans for her future. She would like to pursue a career at a start-up whose objective is to make a contribution to society. But first – she plans to teach English in Asia and work in Tallinn for a few years before getting her MBA.
On being Estonian
Being Estonian means having the duty to preserve the Estonian heritage by being committed to our community. I cannot imagine my life without our Estonian community. My deepest sense of fulfillment comes from striving to build lasting relationships with fellow Estonians, celebrate our traditions, foster our culture and give back to our Estonian community. Practically my whole life has revolved around my heritage and it has allowed me to develop a strong sense of identity. All of my Estonian-related experiences and memories have played an important role in my life and play a big part in defining who I am today.
It is inspiring to witness our community play such a huge role in our lives despite having a relatively small presence in the world. While the size of our community does not reflect our large passion for upholding our cultural values and traditions, it does bring up a concern for our future. I believe that this has been a driving force in maintaining the strength of our community, and that we have proven that power does not only persevere by strength in numbers.
Our community truly is a second family to me. A large part of my life will always be dedicated to ensuring a bright future for our Estonian community as it is something that I am deeply passionate about. I am and will always be a proud Canadian-Estonian.
On the role of EFC
It is vitally important for our community to preserve our culture and heritage, celebrate our traditions and encourage active involvement in the community itself. …our community truly acts like one big family connected by our roots. The Estonian Foundation of Canada is this connecting factor that provides the tools to bring our community together in any way possible. It maintains the strength of our community by celebrating our past in order to ensure a future in Canada.
Thanks to the generosity of our donors, Estonian Foundation of Canada has granted 150 scholarships to Canadian-Estonian students since 2000.
Scholarship details and applications available at www.estonianfoundation.ca/en/e... or by contacting the EFC office at 416-465-5600 or
