Sunrise Credit Union is offering 14 scholarships totaling $24,000 to students across southwestern Manitoba this month.
Their selection process was rigorous with a 6-person committee scoring each of the 60 applicants who applied for funds to help with the costs of post-secondary education.
Academics, leadership, extracurricular activities, volunteerism, community involvement, and essay quality were weighed on the points scoring system to decide on scholarship recipients.
Community Engagement Coordinator, Bruce Luebke, says since its inception in 2008 Sunrise Credit Union has been awarding scholarships for post-secondary education between that $24,000-$25,000 mark annually to students across their trading area.
“We’re always supportive of young people in our communities, we’re supporting of educational institutions, and the fact that we are awarding scholarships fits right in with our ethics, our model, our vision and mission values,” he says. “And we’re more than happy to continue to do that”.
"The other thing that's important is that because our corporate office is in Brandon and we do have a branch in Brandon, we are in rural Manitoba," continues Luebke, "and for the most part those communities are mainly agricultural based, and the fact that we are having basically farm kids who are moving on to post-secondary education and could potentially be moving back to their communities, which are our communities, can only help those communities continue to thrive."
"So, I think that's a good thing to have when you have that number of students that are continuing on to post-secondary education, "he adds, "but then also the fact that we can help in some small way too, to get that education and perhaps help their community moving forward."
Please listen to more with Bruce Luebke below!
'St. Alphonse’s Laura Delichte received the largest scholarship: $5,000 for a high-school graduate seeking post-secondary education,' states Sunrise Credit Union's recent news release. 'Delichte’s high school career has been a testament to her work ethic, achieving honour roll with distinction each year while participating in many extracurricular activities, including various school sports and committees.
Delichte also made it a priority to give back to and be involved in her community. Her community involvement includes, but is not limited to, involvement with the 4-H club, lifeguarding and teaching swimming lessons, refereeing middle years and scorekeeping high school sports, and volunteering with St. Alphonse & District Foundation’s pumpkin cart.
Delichte will attend the University of Manitoba in the fall. Upon graduating from the agriculture diploma program, she plans to pursue a degree in agribusiness and secure a job at a rural financial institution. Her goal is to help small family farms be financially sustainable for future generations and assist the ag industry in continuing to play a significant role in rural Manitoba.'
'Each year, Sunrise Credit Union employs students in various positions throughout the organization. Abbigail Conrad of Swan Lake received the $3,000 scholarship awarded to a Sunrise Credit Union Summer Student. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Greig of Melita received the $3,000 scholarship for a first-year student continuing their education at Brandon University, and Lindsay Wytinck of Glenboro received the $3,000 scholarship for a first-year student continuing their education at Assiniboine Community College.'
Ten $1,000 scholarships were awarded to a diverse group of high school students from various communities in southwestern Manitoba. These students, each with unique aspirations and potential, are seeking post-secondary education this fall. The recipients include Shaylee Frattinger (Elkhorn), Kendra Wytinck (Cypress River), Siena McMillan (Brandon), Nadia Nickel (Solsgirth), Raelee Brasch (Grandview), Ainsley Boulanger (Hartney), Anna Forbes (Glenboro), Carys Wytinck (Bruxelles), Dominique Lansing (Virden), and Nicholas Hiscock (Brandon).
'Sunrise Credit Union would like to thank all 60 applicants and extend a heartfelt congratulations to the scholarship recipients. Best of luck to all applicants and the entire graduating class of 2024 in your future endeavors,' notes their media release.
