The future of our union: Part III

As such, they look to ONA members and leaders for your guidance and expertise to help them carve a path towards safe and reliable practice, and for your support with the unique challenges they face. We all have an important role to play in fostering their connection to our union as we fight for and give them a strong voice on the issues that matter most. 

In this four-part series, you’ll hear directly from the most recent recipients of the ONA and Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions Scholarships & Bursaries about what ONA means to them. These scholarships are available to first-time students who are immediate family members of ONA members and enrolled in accredited Canadian Nursing Students’ Association-affiliated nursing education programs or other regulated health professional programs in Ontario. 

In Part III, learn what these next three students learned about ONA through their parents and how the union’s support will be instrumental as they embark on their careers.

Emily Dewal

“ONA is extremely important to nurses for many reasons. As both of my parents are nurses, I can apply the importance to real-life scenarios I have encountered. As a future nurse, I appreciate all the great things that ONA has done and is currently doing for health-care providers, and I know the union will be a big part of my life and career.”

Abby Stock

“ONA is more than just a union…it’s a voice, a shield and a support system for thousands of nurses and health-care professionals, along with thousands of students working to join the field. In a profession that can be as demanding as it is rewarding, having that kind of support makes a great difference to a health-care professional’s mental and physical health.” 

Kiara Bautista

“Growing up with a mother who is both a nurse and a longstanding member of ONA, I have had the privilege of seeing firsthand what it means to stand up for others, not just at the bedside, but beyond it. I watched my mother balance the emotional and physical demands of nursing with the courage to speak out when conditions were unjust, when staffing was unsafe, or when nurses were unheard. It was through her and ONA’s unwavering support of nurses like her, that I first learned the meaning of advocacy.”

The deadline to apply for the 2026 ONA and CFNU scholarships is July 1. Learn more about those scholarships and the other support we offer students here.