| Description |
The bursary is provided in honour of Cindy Elaine Merrick for a mother who is pursuing an Adult Dogwood Diploma.
"I give this gift in honour of my mom. My life changed when my mom decided to pursue her education. Learning changed her and it also changed me. Ihk'enazdulkat.
My mom didn't complete high school when she was a teenager. Her dad died when she was fourteen and her family fell apart. She left school in grade eleven and didn't expect to go back. She got married at 19, had a baby at 20. Her life was complicated by grief, dysfunction, bad advice and broken systems.
She came to understand that education was her only way out of the negative cycles she found herself in. It wasn't easy - she had to pay the bills, feed her kids and she had to start at grade 10 math. There were days she didn't think she could do it, she wondered if she had made the right decision... but she persevered. As she got closer to graduation, she realized she wanted to go to University. It took several years of adult academic upgrading before she walked the stage to graduate, and she did it!
From there she went on to complete a Bachelor's degree and before she turned 55 she earned a Master's of Social Work from Ryerson University. My mom is amazing! Today she is a Family Therapist.
It can be hard to go back to school. You might doubt yourself and wonder if you made the right decision. You might wonder if you are smart enough to be here. The answer is yes! You are smart enough. You made a good decision. This bursary is intended to give you a bit of extra financial support so you can focus on your studies, and to encourage you to persevere, even when it's tough." |