Western Financial helps graduates

Times Reporter  

 

Any sort of helping hand while you are going through post-secondary schooling can be a big help. For Paige Rist, a recent Strathmore High School graduate, the Western Communities Foundation Exceptional Achievement Citation Bursary Award will help knock a bit off of her tuition costs.

“It was awesome, I found out at awards night. When they called my name I was like ‘what I won a scholarship?’ It was really amazing,” said Rist. 

“It really helps, I’m really thankful for that because tuition is a lot.”

The bursary is for $500, and this year 73 students were awarded with it across the country. 

“It was created by our CEO Scott Tannas and he is an individual that’s fairly forthright in saying that high school didn’t really come easily to him,” said Eric Michalko, manager of sponsorships, digital marketing and public relations with Western Financial Group. 

“He wanted to create a bursary award that didn’t necessarily recognize the smartest students or the students with the best grades because there are lots of bursaries that do that.  He wanted to create a bursary that recognized students who had strong involvement in the community, show great school spirit things of that nature.

“I think it’s great. It’s a great opportunity to … recognize students that excel in other areas outside the classroom in terms of community development, school spirit, students that have overcome adversity. So it’s a great way to recognize our next generation of leaders.”

Rist was also the recipient of the Alexander Rutherford Scholarships for High School Achievement and an entrance scholarship for the University of Calgary where she is studying for her Bachelor of Arts and Psychology.