The Association's constitution allows for free student membership to those eligible. In order to benefit from such free student membership, students must be of Maltese descent (parents/grandparents) and should be pursuing a course of studies at a university or college. At the April 1997 meeting, the President of the Association, Mr. A. E. Vella, introduced the first student who has registered under the Association's special rule that allows for free student membership to those eligible. The first such members is Miss Ann Bugeja, a first-year Medicine student at the University of Toronto. While taking this opportunity to extend a warm welcome to Miss Bugeja, we also want to repeat to our members an appeal which Miss Bugeja made at the end of the meeting. It is widely known that diabetes is a decease that is widespread amongst the Maltese population. Linking her studies to her ancestral island, Miss Bugeja will be conducting a medical research project in Malta this summer, during her scholastic break between June and August. This project will investigate a clinical evaluation of the quality of diabetic care at St. Luke's Hospital in Malta. It is expected that the research will allow, among other things, for the evaluation of Maltese hospital care and will be useful in making similar evaluations of Toronto hospitals and community practices that support this type of research. Miss Bugeja will be supervised throughout the project by the hospital's senior staff. The cost of this eleven-week project is expected to amount to over C$7,000. While part of this has already been covered by Mid-Med Bank, who has agreed to cover the cost of the return flight, and others have expressed an interest to consider this appeal, Miss Bugeja is also seeking the support and assistance of the Association's members to cover part of the remaining expenses. Any contribution is welcome. While she will be foregoing the opportunity to earn money during the summer months for her medical school tuition and fees, Miss Bugeja will greatly appreciate our support for this unique research that will be directly relevant to the Maltese community in Canada. Offers of support can be made through any members of the Executive Board of the Association. She plans to depart from Toronto during the fist week in June.

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