Students at the Southeast College’s Estevan campus received $27,000 in scholarships and bursaries Tuesday afternoon during the college’s second annual Industry-Education Luncheon.
The awards were presented to 19 students in various programs, including adult basic education, fourth class power engineering, continuing care assistant, early childhood education, electrician and industrial mechanic.
Southeast College president Dion McGrath paid tribute to the sponsors and the students. Awards don’t happen without the support of the donors, he said.
“This year our total for fundraising for scholarships and bursaries is close to $190,000,” said McGrath. “We’re a little shy of our record year last year by about $9,000 or $10,000, so we have some big plans to continue to grow our efforts into more partnerships with businesses and individuals.”
When bills are piling up and need to be paid late in a course, students are thankful they receive a scholarship or a bursary, he said.
The Southeast College has already handed out $33,500 in entrance scholarships this school year. Any new student in a full-time program receives a cheque for $500 in entrance support. An additional $41,375 has been handed out in achievement awards, like those handed out at the Estevan campus on Tuesday. And they have received $21,000 through the fuelling the Future campaign; several of those scholarships were doled out on Tuesday.
“Students receiving the awards today have done a lot of work, and we need to acknowledge that. It’s not easy to get through these programs, and it’s not easy living as a student. We all know that,” said Richards.
The students applied for the scholarships online in December and January.
A selection committee reviewed 140 applications from local students, and selected 19 recipients.
“They had to weigh against endless reams of criteria the donors have put in place,” said Richards.
A total of 27 awards were handed out Tuesday afternoon. Some students received more than one scholarship or bursary.
Eligible funds are matched by the Ministry of Advanced Education through the Saskatchewan Innovation and Opportunity Scholarship program. Of the $27,000 awarded in Estevan, $12,750 came from the provincial government.
Noritta Awuku, a continuing care assistant student, and Bailey Fleck, an early childhood education student, received Quota International of Estevan Scholarships.
Southeast College Governors Bursaries were handed out to Eunji Kim and Hyunho Min, who are both in adult basic education.
Matthew Griffiths was presented with the Southeast College Post-Secondary Scholarship for industrial mechanics.
The Boyle Belanger Scholarship went to Eun Ae Kim, who is in continuing care assistant studies.
The first-ever City of Estevan bursaries went to Ashley Kessler and Todd Fernandez, who are enrolled in fourth class power engineering. Kessler also received a Souris Valley Paving bursary, while Fernandez received a Southeast College post-secondary scholarship.
Enbridge Pipelines Fuelling the Future scholarships went to Mallory Cappelle and Sonja Dorcas, who are in fourth class power engineering, Colton Goffinet and Chayse Graham, who are industrial mechanic students, and Robert McNamara and Riley Perry, who are in the electrician program.
Goffinet and Graham also received a Power Dodge Scholarship, Dorcas received a Souris Valley Paving bursary, Perry received a Southeast College Post-Secondary Scholarship for electricians, and Cappelle received the Weyburn Oilwomen’s Pursuit of Education scholarship.
Viterra Fuelling the Future Scholarships went to Jeremy Emmons for having the second-highest mark in the electrician program, Alex Akerstrom for having the highest electrician mark, Luis Peralta for having the second-highest mark in industrial mechanics and Collin Holderness for having the highest industrial mechanic grades.
Holderness also received a Fire Sky Energy Ronald Wanner Scholarship.
Logan Gavelin, a fourth class power engineering student, received a provincial government Saskatchewan Opportunity Scholarship.
