VIU students receive $5000 scholarships

Four Vancouver Island University students were each recently awarded a $5000 Ike Barber transfer scholarship.

These scholarships are awarded annually to undergraduate students who have completed two years at a public post-secondary institution in BC and are transferring to another degree-granting institution in BC to complete their degrees.

Vanessa Hitchcock, a Liberal Studies student at VIU who received one of the scholarships, was thrilled to be chosen.

“Receiving this scholarship felt outstanding,” she said. “When I opened the envelope, I felt immense gratitude and joy. This scholarship has ensured my goal of completing my first degree, which is the first step in my dream of becoming a teacher. It has allowed me to focus on my studies and enjoy the journey of my education, giving it my all with the peace of mind that my finances are covered.”

Daniel Metcalf, a student athlete at VIU who also received the scholarship, says the award will help him focus on his studies and his training.

“This scholarship has helped me immensely to fund my education,” he said. “As a varsity athlete playing volleyball at VIU, I am not able to work during the school year because we train most days of the week and play or travel on the weekends. It felt very rewarding knowing the hard work I have put into my studies will assist me to continue towards my degree.”

To qualify for the scholarship, students must have a grade point average of at least 3.5 or 87.5 per cent for 54 credits completed and have demonstrated service to their school and/or community. Scholarships of $5,000 each are awarded annually to undergraduate students across BC.

The other VIU students who received the scholarship are Toni Gore and Travis Webber, who both transferred from North Island College.

“We are thrilled these students have chosen VIU as their university of choice,” said Karen Stant, Coordinator, Financial Aid and Awards at VIU. “We are proud of their accomplishments and wish them well as they continue their academic journey at our institution.”

85 students across BC received one of the Ike Barber Transfer Scholarships this year. Working in partnership with the Victoria Foundation, the Irving K. Barber BC Scholarship Society provides scholarships to students attending public post-secondary institutions both throughout the province and internationally.

To date, the Society has awarded over $1.8 million in scholarships. The scholarships are named after philanthropist Dr. Irving K. Barber, who is the founder of Slocan Forest Products Ltd. and is well known for his commitment to education and research in British Columbia.