BDM Scholarship empowers first-generation student to reach new heights

London, Ont. – July 18, 2025 – Derrell Bien Nofiel, a Western University engineering student, is one of the latest recipients of the UFCW Canada – Beggs-Dowling-Mathieu (BDM) Scholarship. His father is a proud member of UFCW Local 175 and works at Dr. Oetker in London.

For Derrell, receiving the scholarship is not just about financial relief—it’s about honouring the sacrifices of his immigrant parents and achieving a lifelong dream.

“Dating back to high school, it has been a central goal of mine to become a first-generation engineer for my family,” says Derrell. “Growing up in a household with immigrant parents, I have witnessed firsthand the sacrifices my parents have made to keep our household afloat, while still making sure my two younger brothers and I could participate in extracurricular activities.”

Determined to contribute, Derrell took on a full-time summer job—at the same workplace as his father—in order to help pay for his tuition. That’s where he discovered the BDM Scholarship, which is available to UFCW Canada members and their families.

“The BDM scholarship will be a lifesaver,” Derrell explains. “It will help cover textbooks, emergency expenses, internship application fees, and other educational costs. Most importantly, it will ease my financial stress and allow me to focus more fully on my studies.”

Derrell says he is deeply grateful to be selected and excited to continue pursuing his goal of becoming an engineer—an accomplishment that would be a first for his family.

The UFCW Canada – BDM Scholarship offers a total of $18,000 in scholarships to UFCW Canada members and their families and is one of more than 25 union scholarships available to members and their relatives every year, totaling more than $300,000 in support.

To see a full list of scholarships offered by UFCW Canada, or to learn how you can earn university and college credits completely free of charge, visit our Union Scholarships webpage.