Neither Patricia Heisler nor Nicho Willson expected to win as many scholastic awards as they did, but on Sept. 27, their hard work paid off.
The pair of Merrittonian post-secondary students took home about $3,050 between them from the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology’s (NVIT) awards ceremony for the 2013-14 school year.
In all, NVIT handed out about $37,000 in scholarships and bursaries that weekend and a total of a little more than $49,000 between its Merritt and Burnaby campuses.
Heisler and Willson were this year’s recipients of NVIT’s Parliamentary Awards.
Heisler — who won six awards and took home a total of $1,900 — was born and raised in Merritt, and has spent most of her time in the Nicola Valley. The 32-year-old ventured away from home a few times after high school to live in Vancouver, Banff and Edmonton. She returned intermittently between living in those cities before settling into her schooling back home in Merritt after a year at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology.
She said living in big cities wasn’t for her, and she missed her family and friends.
“I just don’t really like big cities,” Heisler said.
Heisler upgraded her Grade 11 and 12 courses at NVIT and then decided she wanted a career that involved the environment and joined the institute’s environmental resource technology program.
She told the Herald it felt great to receive the accolades she did.
“It’s awesome that people are giving out awards like that and actually taking the time to think about students,” Heisler said.
Heisler also received the Lieutenant Governor of B.C. Silver Medallion, which is given to the student in a two-year vocational or career program who has done exceptionally well in their studies and contributed to their school or community.
Willson took home four awards worth a total of $1,150, which she said will likely go into her savings.
Nicho Willson receives the Governor General of Canada Bronze Medallion Award and a hug from NVIT dean John Chenoweth. Michael Potestio/Herald
“It just shows that hard work pays off,” she said.
Willson also received the Governor General of Canada Bronze Medallion, which is awarded to the student who achieves the highest overall grade point average when graduating from a diploma program. The award, first given in 1873 by the Earl of Dufferin, is considered one of the most prestigious awards a student in a Canadian educational institute can receive, a crowd of award recipients and spectators at the college heard at the awards ceremony.
Willson first attended NVIT as a single mother working three jobs, and earned her early childhood education certificate in 2009. She then began working as a youth and family support worker. Last fall, she returned to NVIT to earn her diploma in early childhood education.
This year’s NVIT awards amounted to significantly less than last year’s, which saw $45,000 awarded to Merritt students and $60,000 in total between the two campuses.
In January, Teck — the company that operates the Highland Valley Copper mine — will present two new awards to three students worth a total of $2,000.
