Great Plains College assisted 77 students at the Swift Current Campus in their journey towards advanced education at the annual Great Plains College Contributors’ Reception held Oct. 15.
Don Morgan, Minister of Advanced Education, personally attended the event to present seven scholarships representing $24,000 in contributions from the Saskatchewan Innovation and Opportunity Scholarship program. The total value of scholarship presented at Swift Current Campus was $142,250.
“While students have access to student loans and a variety of funding, I think when they get a scholarship it’s a recognition of their success, their commitment to it, and it makes it that much easier for them to get a good start on their career,” Morgan said.
“We have a critical labour shortage of people that are educated and trained. The regional colleges do a very good job of producing those graduates, so to the extent that this helps those graduates participate in their programming and likely to stay here, we want to do that and continue it.”
Great Plains College Director of Development Marc Butikofer noted the increase in the number of scholarships being awarded every year.
“They keep getting bigger and bigger, and we’re really proud of the support that we’ve had from the business community to be able to this and I think it’s a great attribute to the success of the college that students are coming here and being able to benefit from the program that we have.
“A significant number, about 40 per cent of our donations actually come from service clubs, which is a huge amount. We’ve got individual donors, alumni, people that just pop in and believe in education and believe in supporting students, so the variety that we have, we live in a rural area where everyone’s willing to chip in and so no matter what sizes of business, everyone sees a value in supporting student success.”
Across the entire Great Plains College region, $236,450 will be awarded in scholarships this year.
Students receiving scholarships presented by Minister Don Morgan:
Business – Adrianna Hoffman – MNP
Office Administration – Madalyn Penner – Stark & Marsh
Third Class Power Engineering – Martyn Banks - Sandra & Larry Hill
Practical Nursing – Kaitlyn Torrie – Innovation Credit Union
University – Taylor Harder – WW Smith Insurance Ltd.
Welding – Jaden Schultz – Associated Canadian Travellers
Wind Turbine Maintenance Technician – Daniel Bueckert – City of Swift Current
Adult Basic Education
Jodi Kress – Balfour Memorial Award
Gr. 11 Early Entrance Awards
Daniel Bueckert – Sask Innovation & Opportunity Fund
Taylor Harder – Sask Innovation & Opportunity Fund
Yana Kada – Town of Ponteix
Business
Lindsay Fowke – Stark & Marsh
Krystal Graham – GPC Staff & Board
Yana Kada – Innovation CU
Megan MacDonald – Sask Innovation & Opportunity Fund
Alejandro Matos – Stark & Marsh
Sloane Meyer – Sask Innovation & Opportunity Fund
Vanessa Schlamp - Sask Innovation & Opportunity Fund
Brittany Vogt Epp – Sask Innovation & Opportunity Fund
Office Administration
Megan Bidochka – MNP
Jamie-Lee Millman – City of Swift Current
Amy Rude – GPC Staff & Board
Theresa Schlosser – Sask Innovation & Opportunity Fund
Third Class Power Engineering
Ian Blocha - Sask Innovation & Opportunity Fund
Zachery Ens - Sask Innovation & Opportunity Fund
Robert Genereux - Sask Innovation & Opportunity Fund
Jeremy Greffard - Sask Innovation & Opportunity Fund
Lyndon MacDonald – Melhoff Electric
Tyler Marsh - Sask Innovation & Opportunity Fund
Evan Ratt – Innovation CU
Trayton Smuk - Sask Innovation & Opportunity Fund
Tim Tschetter - Sask Innovation & Opportunity Fund
Eric Wakeford – GPC Staff & Board
Logan Waker – SC Lions Club
Aaron Zanidean - Sask Innovation & Opportunity Fund
Practical Nursing – Year One
Jessica Gray - Sask Innovation & Opportunity Fund
Dakotah Jones - Sask Innovation & Opportunity Fund
Kristin Laszlo - Sask Innovation & Opportunity Fund
Pam Leifson - Sask Innovation & Opportunity Fund
Wolana-Jean Mastel - Sask Innovation & Opportunity Fund
Cassidy Pederson - Sask Innovation & Opportunity Fund
Shaunee Perkins – Swift Current Hospital Ladies Auxiliary
Hermila Porras – Dr. Alta Van Breda
University
Iola Anderson – Melissa Rapestski Memorial Fund
Holly Andreas - Sask Innovation & Opportunity Fund
Chelsey Briere - Sask Innovation & Opportunity Fund
Christina Cummins-Fehr – Edith Gibbings
Carrie Davis – MNP
Kari Davis - Sask Innovation & Opportunity Fund
Christina Dyke - Sask Innovation & Opportunity Fund
Katy Fernandez - Sask Innovation & Opportunity Fund
Jessica Goddard - Sask Innovation & Opportunity Fund
Annette Haugan - Sask Innovation & Opportunity Fund
Caliegh Johnson – Stark & Marsh
Asha-Lee Kress – MNP
Kelsey MacDonald – WW Smith Insurance
Nathan Meyer - Sask Innovation & Opportunity Fund
Taylor Neufeld - Sask Innovation & Opportunity Fund
Brendan Schmiess - Sask Innovation & Opportunity Fund
Jillian Switzer – Associated Canadian Travellers
Courtney Trudeau – GPC Staff & Board
Aleigha Vanderplas – MNP
Desiree Wall - Sask Innovation & Opportunity Fund
Tamar Weston – National Bank Financial
Kelsey Wittman - Sask Innovation & Opportunity Fund
Karli Wong – WW Smith Insurance
Chelsea Ziegler – Stark & Marsh
Welding
Mason Bennett - Sask Innovation & Opportunity Fund
Nathaniel Coombes – Batco Manufacturing Inc.
Adam Rosser – Swift Current Little Theatre
Wind Turbine Maintenance Technician
Cassandra Evans – Kiwanis Prairie Pioneers
Fourth Class Power Engineering
Kyle Chase - Sask Innovation & Opportunity Fund
Kyle Fradette - Sask Innovation & Opportunity Fund
Cody Halvorson - Sask Innovation & Opportunity Fund
Gabe Jones - Sask Innovation & Opportunity Fund
Cole Leschinski - Sask Innovation & Opportunity Fund
Adam Moser - Sask Innovation & Opportunity Fund
Jerrod Thul - Sask Innovation & Opportunity Fund
Konrad Waker - Sask Innovation & Opportunity Fund
Sundogs Athletes
Cassidy Pederson
Megan Bidochka
Mason Bennet
Chelsea Briere
Daniel Bueckert
Kadin Ham
Cody Halvorson
Adriana Hoffman
Asha-Lee Kress
Evan Ratt
Brendan Schmiess
