John Abbass Sr. Memorial Scholarship
The John Abbass Sr. Memorial Scholarship Fund was established in the memory of John Abbass Sr. by Family Business Atlantic. This annual $3,000 Scholarship is awarded to children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews of Family Business Atlantic members, or family business owners in Nova Scotia and helps promote post-secondary business education pursuits. In 2025, a second $1,500 scholarship was established to provide financial assistance to students in need. Applications are reviewed by the Scholarship Committee, with the award disbursed to the winning candidate’s post-secondary educational institution.
Interested in supporting? Donate to our Scholarship Fund Here!
2026 Scholarship Recipients:
Chase Hawkins & Amadea Krug
This year we received many exceptional submissions for our John Abbass Sr. Memorial Scholarship. In applying for the scholarship, all candidates had to be pursuing their first post-secondary institution and have a solid academic record with at least an 80% grade point average. They had to have some experience, exposure or interest in becoming a part of their family’s business, or pursuing their own business interests. Additionally, our judges looked for leadership and service in their community or in their extracurricular activities.
Family Business Atlantic is pleased to award this year’s $3,000 scholarship to Chase Hawkins of Pictou County, Nova Scotia, and $1,500 scholarship to Amadea Krug of Baddeck, Nova Scotia!
Chase Hawkins – is a driven student and entrepreneur from Pictou Academy in Pictou County, Nova Scotia, headed to Western University in the fall to study business through the Ivey HBA program.
He co-founded Live Laugh Lawn, a landscaping company serving over 60 weekly clients across the region.
Beyond business, he is a National Gold trumpet performer, a Shotokan Karate blue belt with provincial Gold medals, his school’s Student Council president, and a youth advisor with the Aga Khan Foundation Canada, with ambitions in private equity and entrepreneurship.
Amadea Krug – is a graduating student from Baddeck Academy in Baddeck, Nova Scotia. During her time at the school, she has been actively involved in several student-led initiatives, including student council and her school’s mentorship program, which supports elementary students.
Originally from southwest Germany, Amadea immigrated to Canada in 2018 and has since worked in her family’s vacation rental business, with plans to take on a more active management role in the future.
This fall, Amadea will attend Mount Allison University to pursue a Bachelor of Commerce degree, with the goal of minoring in German Language Studies.
Congratulations to our scholarship winners! With your combined extensive knowledge and rich experiences in family business, we are confident that you both will continue to achieve success in all of your future endeavours!
Applications for our 2026 scholarships are closed.
Please carefully read through the application form below and send the form alongside all additional documents compiled into ONE PDF file to: info@familybusinessatlantic.ca
Applications open in January of each year – download a copy of the application form here
Application deadline: March 31, 5 pm ATL
Judges’ decision late April/early May
Note: PDF electronic application is preferred. However if some items (such as a transcript) are not available electronically, they may be dropped off at our office.
Eligibility:
- Candidates must be a resident of Nova Scotia (may be attending a post-secondary institution outside of Nova Scotia).
- Candidates must be in the process of taking their first post-secondary educational pursuit.
- Candidates’ degree should have a business focus or be related to their family business.
- Candidates must have achieved a grade point average of 80%.
- Candidates will preferably have a family business background, interest in becoming involved in their family business, or pursing their own business interests.
- Candidates who have been successful recipients of the scholarship may not reapply.