Meet Leigh Tipper, a Beedie Luminary from the 2024 Cohort of the SPARK Program and now also a recipient of the Graduate Studies Award.
In 2025, Leigh completed her undergraduate degree in History at Vancouver Island University. Currently, she is in the process of obtaining her Masters in History with a focus on gender studies and the Middle Ages, while also writing a book about her own story of resilience.
Being a single parent has always come with its challenges for Leigh. As the sole provider of her family she was forced to move around, change jobs, and it took a long time for her to find peace. When the COVID pandemic hit she lost her job after finally finding stable housing. Determined to build a better future and move out of struggle Leigh decided to go to university. She took out a student loan that would help support that dream and allow her to focus on her studies and be home more with her children. Leigh saw the loan as an investment in her future self and was hopeful of the opportunities for scholarships as well.