PETERBOROUGH — A Trent University student has received a scholarship that honours the legacy of Nelson Mandela.

Jessica Reid, a Trent psychology master’s student, received the prestigious $17,500 Canada Graduate Scholarship Master’s Scholarship. She is one of 10 students in Canada to be awarded the honour.

Ms Reid was recognized for her research into children affected by parental incarceration.

She completed her undergraduate degree in psychology at Trent before starting in the M.A. program in developmental psychology in 2014.

The scholarship Ms Reid received is administered jointly by the Canada Institute of Health Research and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). It celebrates Mr. Mandela’s legacy and his pursuit of peace, democracy, justice and freedom through learning, understanding and education.

"This award speaks to the high calibre of the graduate students we attract and support at Trent with great success. It’s important to note this award is not one that students apply for – Jessica’s file stood out as a one that was worthy of additional recognition," said Dr. Elaine Scharfe, interim vice-provost, dean of graduate studies and Ms. Reid's supervisor. "This award is an absolute honour for Jessica, and I am so thrilled for her."

The scholarship money will support Ms Reid’s research on the differential impact of parental incarceration, comparing the internalizing and externalizing behaviours of boys and girls aged six to 12.

In addition to being a student, Ms Reid is also the co-founder and executive director of For Children of Incarcerated Parents, the only non-profit organization dedicated to providing supportive programming that fosters self-esteem and security for children affected by parental incarceration.

"I would like to thank SSHRC, Trent University and Dr. Scharfe for supporting my research on children affected by parental incarceration. Receiving this prestigious Nelson Mandela distinction is an honour and will help to raise awareness on the need to support these innocent victims of crime in our country," said Ms. Reid. "Children of incarcerated parents are an understudied, forgotten, at-risk population in Canada. Through my research I hope to leverage support from the government to provide evidence-based programming to optimize their psychological, social and education outcomes and help to break the cycle of intergenerational crime."