Holland College hands out awards
Kyle Bent

Students got more than $75,000 as scholarships and bursaries at last Tuesday's Holland College Student Awards Night at the Atlantic Tourism and Hospitality Institute.

More than 300 people attended the ceremony to see 148 students rewarded with bursary money donated from 90 businesses and individuals.

"It says a lot for people of P.E.I." said Holland College Board of Directors member, Jeanne Gauthier-MacKenzie, speaking of the generosity people have shown.

Sylvia Poirier, Registrar of Holland College, said it's nice to be able to give some perks to students.

"Students are the heart and soul of this college, and it's a very small way to say that with a concrete gift of money."

Students have a difficult time financially and the bursaries are not a large amount of money, she said, but the recognition of receiving awards does give encouragement to students for their effort.

Although she said it would be excellent to have more money because students have many financial difficulties and aid is difficult to find.

More than 3000 applications were received by her office for scholarships and bursaries this year, she said.

"We try to spread out the awards as much as possible."

Poirier is hopeful the Holland College foundation will continue to be successful in raising money for student awards.

Albert Fogarty, Chairman of the Holland College Foundation Board of Directors, said it is one of the mandates of the Foundation to provide funds for the students who need them.

The Holland College Foundation Inc. was established in 1983 to assist in expanding educational services and encourage support from the private sector.

A new campaign for scholarship funds will officially begin this Monday, Fogarty said. Although in the last couple of months the Foundation received more than $100,000 from businesses and individuals from across the Island.

He said 100 per cent of the money received will go to the students of Holland College, expecting more students next year will receive bursaries than this year.

Fogarty said some donors want the money invested for the students while others just give money directly to the foundation.

Among the awards given were the the Donald E.M. Glendenning scholarship, named after Holland College's first president, which was awarded to Matthew Holleman, an Architectural Technology student.

Dick MacDonald, Executive Director of ATHI and Culinary Institute, presented the $1,000 scholarship.

Environmental Technology student, Julie Rhynes and Business Information Technology student Tim Wartman each received $500 on behalf of the J. Gerard Gauthier Memorial Scholarship, established in the memory of a former senior financial advisor for Holland College.