Two Ladysmith students attending Vancouver Island University have earned awards from the Cowichan Foundation.
Kimberley Hols, who is working on her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, and Brittany Harshey, who is studying for her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, are among five Cowichan students attending Vancouver Island University (VIU) who received Cowichan Foundation awards of $1,000 each.
Hols received the June Gillespie Memorial Award, and Harshey earned the Dr. Owen Gloster Memorial Award. Other winners were Fiona Dalrymple of Shawnigan Lake (Art Mann Memorial Award), Nichola Evernden of Crofton (Don Morton Memorial Award) and Jesse Hoppe of Parksville, who received the first annual Roger Stanyer Memorial Award, named in honor of Roger Stanyer, a founding member of the Cowichan Foundation.
These awards have been named as permanent annual memorials to Dennis Alphonse, Dr. Owen Gloster, Art Mann and Don Morton, all prominent Cowichan Valley leaders who had served on the Cowichan Foundation board as well as June Gillespie, who provided a substantial donation from her estate, “because she fully believed in what Cowichan Foundation is doing to help students," explained Mike Coleman, Duncan lawyer and a director of the Cowichan Foundation.
“This recognition is a compliment to the significant contributions these exceptional citizens made to the Foundation and to the community at large,” Coleman said in a press release.
Five Cowichan Foundation Awards were also granted to Jenny Izard of Chemainus, Taylor Jenks of Crofton, Stacey Morgan of Ladysmith, Jennifer Scott of Duncan and Ariana White of Youbou.
“The Cowichan Foundation is very pleased to assist Cowichan Valley residents who are proceeding with post-secondary education at a time when costs for students are rising dramatically across the country," said Coleman. “We are fortunate to have very consistent supporters whose generous contributions allow us to provide significant assistance.”