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Recognizing Donors

CoRS students say “thanks” at appreciation event

February 1, 2016 — 

Scholarships, bursaries and other awards can have a tremendous impact on the life of a student.

The College of Rehabilitation Sciences in the Faculty of Health Sciences recently held its annual Student Awards Ceremony and Appreciation Luncheon to recognize donors for the contributions they make to student success through their generous support of learners.

Sixty donors, students, faculty and staff attended the luncheon on the Joe Doupe Concourse in the Basic Medical Sciences Building on January 28 where over 40 scholarships and awards were handed out to deserving students.

Alex Will, a first year respiratory therapy student and recipient of the Manitoba Medical College Entrance Scholarship, said the support is making a positive difference in his life.

“As a student it means a lot to me because I just moved to the city from Brandon and I’m still looking for a job to bring in some extra income,” Will said. “Living costs have been a bit tight for me so it means a lot to be able to get by.”

Donors also appreciate the opportunity to meet with the student recipients of their gifts.

The Arthritis Society of Manitoba, for instance, provides entrance scholarships and bursaries for Masters of Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy students. This year Melina Potts, an occupational therapy student; and Ryan Dziadyk in the physical therapy program both received scholarships.

For Tanya Misseghers, Community Engagement and Marketing Coordinator for the Arthritis Society, student awards are a way of supporting the more than 200,000 Manitobans living with some form of arthritis.

“In Manitoba, the Society receives no government funding. We rely on individual and community donors who want to know the impact of their donations,” Misseghers says. “Supporting students is an investment in the future of helping Manitobans live well with arthritis.”

Donna Collins, Acting Dean of the College of Rehabilitation Sciences, says the luncheon plays an important role linking students to the donors that support them.

“The awards ceremonies give an opportunity to the student recipient to meet with the donor and to thank them personally and the donors can recognize what the donations mean to the students,” says Collins. “Donors very much enjoy coming and meeting the actual recipients of their awards and they often thank us for that opportunity. That’s the purpose for these events.”

As he continues his studies respiratory therapy, Alex Will is happy to express his gratitude.

“I just want to say a big thanks from myself and on behalf of everybody else receiving these awards because it does help a lot and makes a big difference to us.”

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