Student Type: Transfer Scholarship Recipient

“I am so grateful for the Transfer Scholarship Program which helps students like those of us in nursing. The financial help and the recognition for all the work we do not only as students doing our best in a really difficult program, but also as individuals who give back to the community during COVID makes IKB a wonderful organization”. Shanna Grant-Warmald

Shanna, born and raised in Victoria, is a third-year student at the University of Victoria currently enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing.  She recently transferred from Camosun College to complete her degree.  The Ike Barber Transfer Scholarship provided her with a $5000 award to make the move a little easier.

For Shanna, to be the recipient of the Scholarship is an acknowledgment for all her efforts at nursing school. “It motivates me to keep studying and continue getting good grades and has removed a big weight from my shoulders, helping me to get a balance in my life knowing I do not need to borrow more money and that I can pay my school fees and the bills”.

After graduating with a master’s in criminal justice and working in this field for seven years, Shanna experienced the aftermath of a car accident in which a child died, then decided to change careers.  “I am a sensitive soul and comforter who likes to connect with people in their difficult emotional times, and that is how I would like to work as a nurse — with a thick skin and a soft heart” says Shanna.

After graduation, Shanna would like to work in the operating room and pursue research with Indigenous peoples about traditional ways of healing. “I know these are big dreams. That is why I have as a reminder a tattoo that is a famous phrase from Thomas Edison: “If we did all the things, we are capable of we would literally astound ourselves”.

Shanna would like to invite all eligible students to apply for a Transfer Scholarship. “Go for it. Do your best and hope for the best. It is a great opportunity for much-needed self-care, and the application is straightforward and not focused only on grades”.

Shanna will continue giving back to the community what she says the community has given to her, and her message to other students is…” Follow your dreams, we are capable of so much more that we think we are”.

“Being a recipient of this Transfer Scholarship, it was like a dream coming true, it was the help I was looking for.” Braden Majic

Braden Majic is a young community-oriented leader and a third-year student studying for a  Bachelor of Education degree at Vancouver Island University. His goal-oriented personality contributed to his receiving an Ike Barber Transfer Scholarship.

Braden was born in Campbell River and raised by his single mom with whom he has a great relationship and who has been his inspiration to pursue a post-secondary education.    He graduated from high school in 2019 and attended North Island College (NIC) for 2 years. While at NIC, he decided that he wanted to transfer to another institution to continue with his university education and complete his degree.

Braden recognizes two important factors that have helped him with his studies over the past few years. The first one is that Braden had a plan, and he knew where he wanted to go and what he wanted to study.  The second was an excellent advisor at North Island College who helped him to put his plan into action and to keep him accountable. Needing help to make his plan a reality, he turned to his advisor who told him about the Transfer Scholarship Program.  According to Braden, “It was like a dream coming true, it was the help I was looking for.”

Braden observes that sometimes when students learn about a scholarship, they hesitate about applying. He recognizes that applying to scholarships can be intimidating but he invites other students to overcome that fear and to apply.

Braden’s suggestion, “Become close to a counselor at your institution. The counselor is very helpful and can guide you on which courses to take, how to get where you want to go, and to learn about scholarships. That is where I learned about the Transfer Scholarship.”

Braden explains that receiving the Scholarship was a “big stress relief”. “Moving to another city is monumental, he noted, “especially as a young adult, and the Scholarship was a great relief to me as it covered my whole tuition for a year.”

Braden says that the application process was easy to follow. He likes the fact that he could apply online and considers the Society’s computer application process a great tool.  Braden said. He appreciates that the application takes into consideration not only a student’s academic accomplishments but also their extracurricular activities and volunteer service as well. The fact that the Society considers each student as a whole individual including other social service and activities besides obtaining good grades is very much appreciated.

Braden works as a lifeguard/swimming instructor and has volunteered his time and talents at the swimming pool where he works so that they can offer an education program for people to learn about water safety. He also volunteered watering trees in the Summers of 2020 and 2021, helping the elderly order groceries online, and he says he is always eager to do new things to help people.

One of Braden’s strong skills is to work in collaboration with his peers. As a future teacher he is eager to hear what other people do, their goals and inspirations, and others’ point of view.

Braden will start his practicum next year. “This practicum, no doubt, will help me to get a job. Wherever I am needed I will be there”  he notes and, as he loves British Columbia, hopes to work in the province.

Braden values that Society is making a difference in students’ lives at time of uncertainty, and sadness because of the pandemic.  He expressed this in a letter to the Society acknowledging his Scholarship.    His letter noted that “For every generous act that people do to me, I always make sure to thank that person. In this case I thank the BC Scholarship Society”.

Braden congratulates all other recipients because he says he knows how hard each one of them worked. “To be a recipient is an amazing achievement”.

Listen very closely to yourself and never be afraid to change trajectories. Wise words from Ike Barber Transfer Scholarship awardee Jordan Sawchuk. Currently pursuing his Bachelor of Science at the University of British Columbia Okanagan (UBCO), Sawchuk came from an arts background before landing on his passion for physics and math. A testament to the successes found from the meandering road that life can be for many of us, Jordan Sawchuk is a beacon of hope that we can all find our way even if the path isn’t clear from the outset.

Growing up in Armstrong BC, Jordan was not only exposed to the pleasures of rural agricultural life but also a thriving arts and theatre community. A creative mind with a persuasion toward music, philosophy and language, Jordan was involved in music, the arts, and creative writing clubs.

A seemingly natural fit for a BA, Jordan began studying philosophy, history and political science at UBC Vancouver when he was 17 but after a year of wavering focus, Sawchuk left school to pursue a musical career. After years of moving around, playing music, travelling, and working various cooking jobs, Jordan was unsatisfied and felt the need to make a change again. By this point he was in his mid-20s and considered a mature student. The move to start over was daunting but he dove into an Associate of Science degree at Okanagan College. “One of my greatest accomplishments was returning after all that time had passed. I’m proud of that on its own.”

Jordan found he was gravitating toward math and physics in the last term of his last year. “The spirit of inquiry is the core of it all, and that’s what ropes me in. Every time I come across a new idea, particularly one that is hard to understand at first, I get a little giddy,”  Through hard work, Jordan graduated at the top of his program, earned the Associate of Science Award and was among the top 3 graduates in all programs that earned the President’s award.

Now on a roll, Jordan realized that the Associate of Science wasn’t going to take him as far as he wanted to go. He wanted to get his bachelor’s and then move on to eventually attain a Ph.D. so he could teach one day. That’s where the Transfer Scholarship came in. “Hard work matters, of course, as I well know, but sometimes you need assistance to access the opportunity in the first place,” Jordan explains. “I can’t understate the impact of receiving this scholarship. For the first time, I’ve gone an entire school year without worrying about money, and for that, I am extremely grateful.”

Now on his way to achieving his goal of teaching post-secondary, Jordan is a true success story. Studying at UBCO, the added pressures of COVID-19 haven’t been easy but they have illuminated some blessings and opportunities as well. He has joined a tight-knit group of physics majors in a Discord server, where he has found community and engagement and close friendships, despite having never met in person. He also has been tutoring math, physics, chemistry and English all year, and there seem to be more potential clients than he has hours in the day.

All of these experiences, although at the time very challenging, have built resilience, strength, and adaptability in Jordan’s makeup. “Some people come out of high school and they have their mind completely set. There are some great advantages to that,” he shares. “At times I look at my peers, many of whom are 7 or 8 years younger than me, and wish that I had been that way. But, I was not and you may not be either.” Don’t give in to the first instinct to run and change things up, but don’t let ‘practicality’ dictate your future, either. “Switch things up. If the transition seems difficult, think about how much more difficult a life of compromise would be,” he urges. “Also, learn to love mornings, and learn how to cook.”

Small-town Saskatchewan raised Jared Kurtenbach is as jovial and charismatic as they come. Originally pursuing a career in acting, the creative comedian decided to leave his thespian career behind to explore new opportunities at the University of Victoria. Not an easy transition but, Jared has found encouragement and support through an Ike Barber Transfer Scholarship — a welcome win as the pressures and changes brought about by COVID-19 presented unexpected challenges.

Sledding across frozen lakes and weathering -50°C winters was the name of the game for Kurtenbach as a child. Instilled with the good humour and resilience unique to Canada’s prairie folk, he was raised with a foundation to pivot and trust. “Small towns tend to groom considerate people, I think, and so I’ve tried to take that wherever I go,” Jared shares.

A lover of all things creative, Jared was drawn to film studies and English, both avenues for him to flex his unique perspectives and experiment. “I am by far being my truest self when I get to make things. This definitely became my motivation to pursue a career in film,” says Kurtenbach.

But oftentimes, part of the journey in finding what you want to do is trying things out and slowly weeding out the interests, passions, and potential career trajectories that do not make sense for you. After performing in countless student films and landing a few exciting TV roles—Power Rangers, The 100—Jared had some hard realizations. “It’s one thing to perform with your friends for fun and to get a lot out of that… but it’s another to take it as seriously as necessary to become a professional actor,” he explains. “Needing to manipulate your feelings constantly can be quite risky and is something that shouldn’t be taken lightly. For me, that was a commitment I couldn’t make.”

At a crossroads, Jared decided to abort-the-mission and enrolled in General Studies at UVIC to pursue new avenues, instead. As one might assume, this decision did not come without its challenges, as moving cities, taking up residence, and starting fresh is taxing emotionally and financially. Fortunately, the Transfer Scholarship was able to help Jared get the leg up he needed. “I was so, so, so excited when I received word that I had been awarded the scholarship. Sort of shocked though, really,” he shares. “Like how often do you win the lottery? The scholarship has alleviated a huge financial burden that I would have otherwise needed to subsidize with more student loans.”

And the scholarship could not have come at a better time. To add to the burden of uprooting his life, Jared, like many, has had the extra layer of pandemic constraints to manage during this transition. When asked what his greatest accomplishment has been thus far, he replied, “Managing to keep up with my workload in the current scenario is enough for me! Before COVID-19, in my last semester, I was managing five classes, four of which were quite work-intensive, and I managed this without much complaint. Now, working remotely from home, every class is something of a struggle.”

Nonetheless, as much as these challenges persist, Jared continues to work hard and push through. He is confident he made the right choice in changing trajectories and encourages anyone who is thinking of doing the same to take the leap. “If you find you don’t feel the same way about something once you’ve seen the inside of it, you’re not doing yourself any favours pretending you don’t feel the way you do. By ignoring your instincts, you’re gradually diminishing the nag of their warnings until one day you’re too numbed to register your innate distaste for what you’re doing.”

Jared also strongly encourages anyone thinking of transferring schools to apply for scholarships. “Being under the dark cloud of debt is something that you just can’t ignore. It pulls at your attention every day, and the scholarship has facilitated a clear day.”

We wish Jared all the clear days as he champions through to the next chapter of his creativity-driven story.

Transfer Scholarship alumni first to donate back to future students. 

Shan Siddiqui made a pledge to himself a decade ago: as soon as he was in a position to do so, he would help others the way someone had once helped him.

In 2010, Siddiqui was the recipient of an Ike Barber Transfer Scholarship. The $5,000 award helped Siddiqui transfer from Douglas College to the University of British Columbia to complete his studies in social science. Since that time, repayment of the Transfer Scholarship was a quiet goal Siddiqui held close to his heart, knowing it would be an important milestone for him to achieve.

Barely 10 years later, Siddiqui fulfilled his promise. Last fall, he donated the entirety of his award back to the Irving K. Barber British Columbia Scholarship Society, which is a partner of the Victoria Foundation.

“Being a previous recipient puts me in a special place,” says Siddiqui, now the community education program facilitator for the City of Richmond. “It gives me a good perspective as to what it means to be a scholarship applicant and recipient.”
It wasn’t just significant to Siddiqui — this move represented the first time a scholarship recipient has donated the value of an award back into the fund.

“It’s exceptionally rare to see a scholarship recipient giving back in this way, and it’s something we’ve never seen before,” says Rory Grewar, director of special funds at the Victoria Foundation and program director for the Society. “What’s incredible is that philanthropists tend to emerge in the sunset of their careers, but this young man is stepping up at the beginning of his career and making good on a promise he made himself to make a difference by giving back to others.”

The Irving K. Barber British Columbia Scholarship Society was created in 2004 to help British Columbia students complete their post-secondary studies. Philanthropist Irving K. (Ike) Barber, the Society’s namesake, was a Canadian forest industrialist and founded Slocan Forest Products Ltd. Barber himself dropped out of school in Grade 11 to pursue the trades and to sign up for military service. After his service, he was given one free month of university education for every month served during the Second World War. He attended the University of British Columbia, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Forestry in 1950. Historians say Barber credited the impact of his “second chance at education” as the reason for his support for various educational programs in BC.

“Ike spent a lot of his time and efforts in the small forestry communities around BC, and he was interested in the plight of rural students getting a higher education,” says Grewar. “He had a great passion for education and felt rural students were at a disadvantage in accessing postsecondary education — he believed they could use a leg up.”

The Ike Barber Transfer Scholarship responds to this need. Students who are transferring between two public BC post-secondary institutions in order to continue their education can apply for one of the scholarships. In 2019, the Society allocated over $3.5 million in post-secondary awards — $800,000 for Transfer Scholarships. Grewar says in the 15-year history of the Society, which has seen over $23 million granted to BC students through a variety of programs, Shan Siddiqui is the first to donate back the value of his original award.

“The Transfer Scholarship was created to facilitate the movement of students,” says Grewar. “It is merit based, and Shan won it because he was an exceptional student. Part of his exceptional nature is ensuring that this money goes right back to another student who will need it, too.”

Since his studies, Siddiqui has continued to be an active volunteer in a number of communities and has acted as a broad-based admissions reader for UBC. He facilitates hand drumming and dance in Richmond and dedicates his time for a number of sporting events in the city. He also participates in blood drives, food security action, and cultural support for newcomers. As someone at the helm of community work, Siddiqui sees the challenges people face when met with life or school changes.

“Even though it’s been about 10 years since I was a recipient, this [scholarship] had a huge impact for me, and now I’ve been able to come full circle,” says Siddiqui. “Helping others in this way is very meaningful to me. There have been many people who supported me, and I care a lot about contributing back to the community. We can have an impact on each other.” Grewar hopes Siddiqui’s decision may inspire others to reflect on how people have helped them — no matter how far out of school they may be — and to consider the privilege of doing the same. “We associate scholarships with our success, but it’s worth remembering that success is usually achieved because others have helped us along the way,” says Grewar. “Someone giving back a scholarship recognizes that, when they needed help, others were there to lend a hand. Giving back to another generation is a powerful choice.”

Siddiqui says scholarships offer an added validation to encourage people to pursue their goals.
“Awards like this are really a way to say, ‘What you’ve been doing is worthwhile. Keep going,’” says Siddiqui. “You can see yourself reflected in the recipients — they are a previous version of you and, one day, they may be the next generation of donors.”

This story originally appeared in Pulse Magazine: victoriafoundation.bc.ca

Photo by David Strongman

Northern Lights College graduate awarded the Transfer Scholarship

Fort St. John’s Tara Good found the transition from one post-secondary institution to another that much easier thanks to the legacy of a far-sighted philanthropist.

Good, was awarded a $5,000 Irving K. Barber Transfer Scholarship to help with the costs of moving 1,100 kilometres from her hometown of Fort St. John to Kelowna and starting the final years of her bachelor’s degree. She completed a business management diploma program at Northern Lights College, and wanted to complete a bachelor of business administration with an accounting specialty at Okanagan College.

“It’s a huge weight off my shoulders,” says Good. “With moving and tuition, I had no idea how I was going to do it.”

Established in 2006, the Irving K. Barber Transfer Scholarship was designed specifically to help students who have to transfer from one BC public post-secondary institution to another to finish their degrees. The award was established with a $15 million endowment from the Province in recognition of the contributions of philanthropist Ike Barber who was an ardent and generous supporter of higher education and research in British Columbia.

“BC has a great transfer system that allows students to move from one institution to another,” says Rory Grewar, program director of the Irving K. Barber British Columbia Scholarship Society. “When students can start their program at a local college in their hometown, they save money and can rely on their networks for support. Then, when it’s time to move elsewhere to finish their degrees, the Ike Barber Transfer Scholarship can help financially.”

At age 17, Good moved to Edmonton to pursue a general science degree but after a year and a half, it didn’t feel like a good fit. “As much as I want to follow my passion, at the end of the day I wanted to study something that would help me end up in an actual profession,” she says. Edmonton wasn’t the right place and science not the program for her. She moved home.

Back in Fort St. John, Good was considering career options while she was a server at a local restaurant. One night, a table of chatty accountants told Good about life as an accountant and encouraged her to pursue accounting studies.

She always preferred numbers to words and liked the idea of having a specific job at the end of her studies. She enrolled in the business management program at Northern Lights College the next week. Good knew that she’d have to eventually move away to finish her education but was determined to find a way. “Even though I already knew how hard it was to move away from home for school, I knew what I wanted to do and had to make it happen,” she says. Armed with a plan, a little life experience, and a $5,000 scholarship, she set off to Okanagan College.

Now settled happily in Kelowna, Good is able to balance school and community involvement while pursuing a co-op placement. While her success has a lot to with her resolve, Good is grateful for the scholarship award that made for a much smoother transition.