For some students, receiving a bursary is the difference between going to college or not.
But with just a little paperwork and a couple of phone calls, anyone can change the lives of prospective undergrads.
One person attempting to do just that is Dr. Bev Skwernuik, who owns Mosaic Vision Care with her husband, Dr. Alex Kennedy. Skwernuik is establishing a bursary with the Comox Valley School district (SD71).
“Creating a bursary is something I’ve been thinking about since moving here five years ago,” says Skwernuik. “It’s important to me to make a contribution toward the future of my community.”
As the cost of post-secondary education escalates, so does the demand for scholarships and bursaries. Thankfully, notes SD71 treasurer Russell Horswill, who oversees the establishing of awards, Skwernuik is not alone in her philanthropy.
“Every year we have numerous people come forward wanting to set up scholarships,” says Horswill. “This can take a couple of different forms, from a single payment each year that will go to a deserving student, to creating an endowment fund that we can manage.
“We work with the contributors as to what their intent is for the scholarship and then come up with something that works for the students,” he adds. “Certainly many of them are academically oriented, but not all.”
Bursaries have been established to remember loved ones, honour milestones and recognize special achievements, thereby encouraging those qualities in others. For Dr. Skwernuik, creating a bursary for a deserving local student is her way of paying it forward.
“I was awarded a couple of scholarships in high school, and I always felt that recognition helped to motivate me to pursue a career in the medical field,” she explains. “It had a significant impact on my academic achievement and helped influence my decisions and interests at a young age.”
Noting that her associate at Mosaic Vision Care, Dr. Mary Lynn Desroches, has had a North Island College scholarship for years, Skwernuik says she wanted to provide younger students with the same opportunity she was given.
While exact criteria for her proposed bursary haven’t yet been established, she says it will likely recognize a student who has demonstrated active celebration of his or her heritage within the community.
“I’m looking forward to working with the district to acknowledge a student who has shown a sincere appreciation of their cultural roots,” she says. “Hopefully, by recognizing and rewarding one student, it will motivate others to work hard and get involved.”
Mosaic Vision Care has a proud legacy of giving back to organizations as diverse as YANA, Dawn to Dawn and the Third World Eye Care Society. To learn more, visit www.mosaicvisioncare.com or call 250-334-9894.
For more information on establishing a bursary, contact the school board office at 250-334-5500.
— Mosaic Vision Care
