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Bow Valley College winner of Paul and Gerri Charette Bursary Brianna Roeters
Brianna Roeters, a student in the Early Childhood Education & Development diploma program at Bow Valley College’s Okotoks campus, was recently awarded one of the Paul and Gerri Charette bursaries.
The Colleges and Institutes of Canada (CiCan) administers the Paul and Gerri Charette Bursary Program, which provides financial support to college students that demonstrate financial need and face barriers in participating in and completing post-secondary education. Students attending colleges in rural or remote areas are given preference for the $5,000 bursary.
Brianna chose Bow Valley College for her studies because the flexible scheduling allows her to balance home life and school. It was also important to her to be able to stay close to her home community in Langdon, where she plans on eventually opening a daycare facility.
“[Studying in my own community] allowed me to gather the information on what families are looking for in terms of childcare so that I could apply that knowledge within my future practice.”
Brianna notes that’s she’s had a tremendous experience at Bow Valley College, in particular crediting Karen Buttner from regional stewardship and instructor Emmie Henderson-Dekort, who supported Brianna’s application for the bursary.
Emmie recognized Brianna's willingness to learn, and her family situation, her rural location, and the fact that Brianna holds a job while enrolled in school full-time. “I thought she would make an excellent candidate,” says Emmie.
“I just wanted to say thank you to all of the educators and my peers that have supported me throughout the course of my time at Bow Valley College,” Brianna says. “And an extra special thank-you to those who chose me to receive the Paul and Gerri Bursary! Your generosity has not gone unnoticed.”
Students looking to find out about awards or scholarships available through Bow Valley College should log into the Student Awards Portal.
