Graphic Design Student Tracy Pepper Named Latest Winner of BMO BIPOC Creative Achievement Award

Toronto Film School is proud to announce fourth-term Graphic Design & Interactive Media student Tracy Pepper as the latest recipient of the BMO BIPOC Creative Achievement Award – a quarterly $1,250 bursary that celebrates the creativity and promise of full-time students who identify as Black, Indigenous or People of Colour.

Created to help foster greater diversity and representation in Canada’s creative industries, the award aims to support TFS students in overcoming financial barriers so they can successfully complete their programs and pursue their artistic dreams.

For Pepper, a Métis woman of Algonquin, Iroquois, and Mohawk ancestry, the award arrives at a crucial time as she navigates a “profound life transition” marked by personal resilience and cultural rediscovery, while also undergoing treatment for kidney cancer.

“This financial assistance will ease the burden I currently face and allow me to focus my energy on my education, my health, and my creative work without the constant stress of financial insecurity,” she said.

“As I am unable to work, managing the cost of living has become increasingly difficult. Additionally, I will soon need to update my computer – an essential tool for the digital illustration and design work that is central to my studies and future career.”

A Journey of Transformation

Two years ago, Pepper returned to Canada after living for 20 years in New Zealand, where she built a diverse career as a Registered Massage Therapist, yoga and meditation teacher, life coach, celebrant, and VIP tour guide.

During her time in Aotearoa (the Indigenous Māori name for New Zealand), she was embraced by Māori culture and studied Tikanga, learning the customs and values of the Māori people. It was her Kaiako (teacher) who encouraged her to explore her own ancestral heritage – a suggestion that sparked a profound journey of self-discovery.

“Through learning about my female Métis lineage, I have begun to understand my creative identity in ways I never imagined possible,” Pepper said. “This cultural awakening has become inseparable from my artistic vision.”

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Tracy’s return to Canada was precipitated by a kidney cancer diagnosis and referral for immunotherapy treatment at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. Faced with the inability to find work, she made a pivotal decision: to redirect her creative energy toward her long-held dream of creating meaningful children’s books for kids who need them most.

“I enrolled full-time at Toronto Film School specifically to learn the illustration and design skills necessary to prepare my own books for publication,” she explained.

“Throughout my varied career, creativity has always been a constant thread – whether designing wellness programs, crafting meaningful ceremonies, or developing visual stories – but now I am channeling that creativity with clear purpose and intention.”

Stories That Matter

Pepper’s first children’s book, Fluffy the Extraordinary Butterfly, is currently in the final stages of publication. In it, she tells the story of a flightless butterfly who discovers their purpose is different from other butterflies. Fluffy is gender-neutral, using they/them pronouns, and celebrates finding meaning and identity even when you don’t fit conventional expectations.

Fluffy’s story, Pepper said, was inspired by a butterfly she rescued from her garden and cared for after discovering it couldn’t fly.

“It reminded me of my own experience. I was born with a rare form of ovarian cancer, which was diagnosed when I was 10 years old. So, I knew what it felt like to be different and to live a life that was not like most,” she said.

“This book reflects my commitment to creating stories for children who face serious illness, disability, or the challenge of discovering who they are in a world that may not always understand them. These are the children I want to reach – the ones who need to see themselves reflected in stories that honor their experiences and affirm their worth.”

Creativity with Purpose

Pepper’s creative vision extends beyond personal artistic fulfillment.

More than a decade ago, she founded Pendo Project – a charity supporting impoverished Indigenous children of the Batwa community in Uganda. The organization currently sends 40 children to private school, covering their school fees, uniforms, supplies, and daily hot lunch.

Pepper’s vision is to create a sustainable model where proceeds from her children’s books support Pendo Project, creating a sustainable model where storytelling funds education for Indigenous children who would otherwise have no access to schooling.

“Education transformed the trajectory of my own life, and I am committed to ensuring these children have the same opportunity,” she said. “This connection between my creative work and community impact is central to who I am and what I hope to achieve.”

Looking Ahead

Following her graduation from the Graphic Design & Interactive Media program, Pepper plans to begin the Bachelor of Creative Arts (BCA) program at TFS affiliate Yorkville University, where she hopes to acquire the theoretical foundations, advanced techniques and professional credentials she needs to establish herself as a children’s book author-illustrator.

“The (BCA) program’s emphasis on critical thinking and individual artistic development will help me refine my creative voice and explore how my Métis heritage can inform the stories I tell,” she said. “As a mature student who still feels like a newcomer to Canada, I also value the opportunity to build lasting connections within an academic creative community.”

As Pepper looks ahead to the future, she does so with the knowledge that the BMO BIPOC Creative Achievement Award will not just help her change her career, it will also assist in her pursuit of a meaningful purpose that integrates her diverse life experiences, her Indigenous heritage, and her commitment to serving children who need stories that reflect their struggles and celebrate their uniqueness.

“The path ahead is clear: complete my degree, continue writing and illustrating books that matter, and ensure that my creative work supports Indigenous education through Pendo Project,” she said. “This award helps make that vision possible.”

To learn more about the BMO BIPOC Creative Achievement Award, click HERE.