Twelve former College of the Rockies students who are continuing their education at British Columbia universities are benefiting from Ike Barber Transfer Scholarships of $5,000 each.
Eight of the recipients have transferred their College of the Rockies credits to the University of Victoria to complete a degree program while the remaining four have transferred to the University of British Columbia.
“There are many financial and educational benefits for students starting their university education at College of the Rockies,” said Pat Bowron, Vice President, Partnership and Advancement. “College of the Rockies transfer students have the highest completion rate of transfer students from any B.C. institution and tend to have higher grade point averages (GPAs). Through highly-personalized instruction and dedicated support services, College of the Rockies students are primed to succeed in the next stage of their academic journey. This Ike Barber Transfer Scholarship is perhaps a reflection of that, and it will support our valued alumni in their ongoing academic aspirations.”
Transfer Scholarship recipient, Seamus Damstrom completed a University Studies Arts and Sciences certificate at College of the Rockies before transferring to the University of British Columbia to pursue his Bachelor of Science in Food and Nutrition.
“It was an honour to receive this scholarship,” Damstrom said. “Being able to transfer from a rural community to a large institution like UBC comes with a large amount of change and financial resources. Receiving this scholarship reduced some of that financial stress, which allowed me to continue to pursue my educational goal.”
The Ike Barber Transfer Scholarship program has the goal of increasing educational opportunities for students from public colleges across B.C. Funds are generated from the returns on a $15 million endowment established by the province in 2006 and is named after philanthropist Irving K. Barber who had a long history of supporting public education and research projects in British Columbia before his death in 2012.
The scholarship is open to students who, after completing two years of study at an eligible institution are transferring their credits to another post-secondary institution in B.C. to complete their degree. Applicants must demonstrate academic merit as well as significant involvement in their community and/or school.
While attending College of the Rockies, Damstrom dedicated significant time to giving back to the region, contributing his time to the Canadian Mental Health Association, the United Way East Kootenay, Community Connections Society of Southeast BC (including the Cranbrook Food Action Committee), and the Kootenay East BC NDP constituency. He was also a student representative on the College’s Board of Governors and Education Council.
Damstrom plans to apply for the Dietetics Major at UBC in January as he continues to work toward a career as a Registered Dietitian. He hopes to pursue his career in a rural community with a focus on providing nutritional support to vulnerable populations and would love to work on food policy at all levels of government.
Courtesy Darryl Dux