BIGGAR: The Practical Nursing program at Great Plains College Biggar Program Centre has recently welcomed 14 Practical Nursing students to the community and awarded the group with a total of $7,000 in Entrance Scholarships.
“Many of the students taking Practical Nursing are from out of town and have found that the Biggar program is an accessible option for them to complete their diploma. Through our Entrance Scholarship program we hope to help make it more affordable as well,” said Cindy Keith, Great Plains College program coordinator.
“The added bonus for our students is their high post-secondary success rate, exposure to rural health care dynamics and many of the benefits associated with smaller class sizes,” she added.
Out of the 14 students who graduated in December 2016, six completed their diploma with distinction and one with great distinction. Rylee Bergen was one of the students who graduated with distinction.
“I chose to apply to the Practical Nursing program in Biggar for a few reasons. First, it was very close to Saskatoon and provided a great alternative place to study since it is extremely competitive to get accepted in Saskatoon,” Bergen said. “Second, the program began in February, which allowed me to begin studying seven months before the Saskatoon semester started and therefore I was able to graduate and start working sooner.
“Finally, because of the class sizes, I knew I'd receive a very personal education,” she concluded.
Rylee went on to describe the quality of the program as being “top notch” and noted that the teachers are passionate about their profession.
“They are dedicated to the success of their students and I am confident that the education we received was above and beyond. Also, being in a small town we had many opportunities for hands-on experience in the hospital instead of it just being simulated in the lab,” she concluded.
With a new cohort of students beginning the program, Great Plains College hosted a scholarship reception on March 30, 2017, at Biggar Program Centre.
“The scholarship receptions are an opportunity for us to celebrate our students’ choice to further their education,” said Carrie Voysey, director of communications and development. “It is also an opportunity for us, and our students, to say thank you to all of our donors. They are the ones who make the scholarship program a reality.”
To date, Great Plains College has awarded students taking full-time student-loan eligible programs with approximately $185,000 in Entrance Scholarships. The final group of students to be recognized in the 2016-17 scholarship program is the first cohort of Third Class Power Engineering students at the Kindersley Campus. Classes begin in April.
Scholarships at Great Plains College are made possible by a generous group of donors and matching funds from the Saskatchewan Innovation and Opportunity Scholarship program. Great Plains College would like to recognize the donors from Biggar and surrounding area. Donors include Biggar & District Credit Union, Biggar Shop Easy, Busse Law and Town of Biggar
The Great Plains College Biggar Program Centre also offers a full-time student-loan eligible Electrician program and the nearby Rosetown location offers Welding. All students who apply to those programs by April 30, 2017, are eligible to receive a $500 to $5,000 Entrance Scholarship. A complete list of locations and scholarship eligible programs is available at greatplainscollege.ca.
For more media inquiries, please contact:
Carrie Voysey
Great Plains College – Director of Communications and Development
Phone: (306) 778-5499
Email: carriev@greatplainscollege.ca