activist
Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived greater good. Forms of activism range fro ...
, author,
entrepreneur
Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value. With this definition, entrepreneurship is viewed as change, generally entailing risk beyond what is normally encountered in starting a business, which may include other values th ...
and medical student. She was raised in
Corner Brook
Corner Brook ( 2021 population: 19,333 CA 29,762) is a city located on the west coast of the island of Newfoundland in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Corner Brook is the fifth largest settlement in Newfoundland and Labrador. ...
, Newfoundland. She founded the cancer charity Katrin's Karepackage, following the death of her mother, Katrin Kohler. Maike completed a
PhD PHD or PhD may refer to:
* Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification
Entertainment
* '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series
* ''Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic
* Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group
** Ph.D. (Ph.D. albu ...
in
Psychiatry
Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of mental disorders. These include various maladaptations related to mood, behaviour, cognition, and perceptions. See glossary of psychiatry.
Initial psych ...
at the
University of Oxford
, mottoeng = The Lord is my light
, established =
, endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019)
, budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20)
, chancellor ...
, where she was a
Rhodes Scholar
The Rhodes Scholarship is an international postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom.
Established in 1902, it is the oldest graduate scholarship in the world. It is considered among the world' ...
. She previously completed a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at
Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University (commonly known as Dal) is a large public research university in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the fou ...
Van Niekerk's mother, Katrin Kohler, was diagnosed with breast cancer when van Niekerk was aged eight. She survived the first bout, but died seven years later when the cancer returned. Following her mother's death, van Niekerk began volunteering for the
Canadian Cancer Society
The Canadian Cancer Society (french: Société canadienne du cancer) is Canada's largest national cancer charity and the largest national charitable funder of cancer research in Canada.
History
The idea to form the Canadian Cancer Society origin ...
. In 2014, van Niekerk founded Katrin's Karepackage, a charity that offsets the travel costs for cancer patients living in Newfoundland and in Nova Scotia, and fundraised $35,000 by cycling across Newfoundland. In 2015, she ran seven marathons on seven consecutive days for a fundraiser. By September 2018, the charity had raised over $170,000.
Education
Van Niekerk studied a
Bachelor of Science in Nursing
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN, BScN) also known in some countries as a Bachelor of Nursing (BN) or Bachelor of Science (BS) with a Major in Nursing is an academic degree in the science and principles of nursing, granted by an accredited ...
at
Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University (commonly known as Dal) is a large public research university in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the fou ...
, having won a
Schulich Leader Scholarship
The Schulich Leader Scholarships is a Canadian and Israeli undergraduate award program that provides scholarships for students enrolled in STEM areas of study. Established in 2011 following a $100 million gift from Canadian businessman and philan ...
. At Dalhousie University, she received the Silver Governor General's Academic Medal in 2017 for obtaining the highest academic standing amongst all baccalaureate graduates. In the same year, van Niekerk was awarded a
Rhodes Scholarship
The Rhodes Scholarship is an international postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom.
Established in 1902, it is the oldest graduate scholarship in the world. It is considered among the world' ...
, which allowed her to start a three-year PhD in Psychiatry at the
University of Oxford
, mottoeng = The Lord is my light
, established =
, endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019)
, budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20)
, chancellor ...
Stanford University
Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...
.
Awards
Van Niekerk has been awarded a
Meritorious Service Decoration
The Meritorious Service Decorations (french: Décorations pour service méritoire), available in two forms as the Meritorious Service Cross (Fr.: ''Croix du service méritoire'') and the Meritorious Service Medal (Fr.: ''Médaille du service mérit ...
. She received a
Canadian Red Cross
The Canadian Red Cross Society () In 2015, van Niekerk was one of
Plan Canada
Plan International Canada is the Canadian arm of the relief organization Plan International, a not-for-profit global movement that promotes social justice for youth and their families in more than 65 developing countries.
Plan International an ...
's Top 20 Under 20. In 2017, van Niekerk was one of 100 people on the Women's Executive Network list of Canada's Most Powerful Women. In 2018, van Niekerk was one of ten honourees in the
L'Oréal Paris
L'Oréal S.A. () is a French personal care company headquartered in Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine with a registered office in Paris. It is the world's largest cosmetics company and has developed activities in the field concentrating on hair color, ...