16 BC students awarded $5,000 Ike Barber Transfer Scholarships

VICTORIA, Sept. 22 /CNW/ - Sixteen BC students will each receive a $5,000 Ike Barber Transfer Scholarship this year from the Irving K. Barber British Columbia Scholarship Society.

"These scholarships are an investment in the skills and talents of students in BC," said Dr. Irving K. Barber , the philanthropist for whom the scholarship is named. "They help students obtain their post-secondary degrees while rewarding their outstanding accomplishments, both in the classroom and in the community." Dr. Barber is the founder of Slocan Forest Products Ltd. and is well known for his commitment to education and research in British Columbia.

The scholarships are awarded annually to undergraduate students who have completed two years at a public post-secondary institution in B.C. and are transferring to another degree-granting institution in B.C. to complete their degrees. They are funded from the returns on a $15 million endowment established by the Province in 2006.

"The Irving K. Barber BC scholarships encourage students to take advantage of some of the best features of B.C.'s post-secondary system - choice and transferability," said Moira Stilwell , Minister of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development. "For students seeking a degree, having the ability to transfer easily between institutions means that they can start their degrees at their closest community college or institute, saving them thousands of dollars in costs."

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.

"By helping students meet their financial needs for post-secondary education, we all win," said Jim Reed , chair of the board of the Irving K. Barber British Columbia Scholarship Society. "These scholarships help students obtain degrees while studying closer to home longer and at less cost."

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 $2.2 million in scholarships.

To find out more about this fund call the Victoria Foundation at 250-381-5532 or visit www.bcscholarship.ca.

    
    List of recipients below

               2009 Ike Barber Transfer Scholarship Recipients

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                        Home Town/      Original            Destination
    Student             City            Institution         Institution
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Joness Lang         Vancouver       BC Institute of     Royal Roads
                                        Technology          University
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Chris Bigelow-      Victoria        Camosun College     University of
    Nuttall                                                 Victoria
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Joel Witherington   Victoria        Camosun College     University of
                                                            Victoria
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Braden Young        Victoria        Camosun College     University of
                                                            British Columbia
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Peder Sande         North           Capilano            University of
                        Vancouver       University          British Columbia
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Rachelle Durand     Prince George   College of          University of
                                        New Caledonia       Northern British
                                                            Columbia
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Candace VanDijk     Prince George   College of          University of
                                        New Caledonia       Northern British
                                                            Columbia
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Maeghan Sheepwash   Surrey          Douglas College     Vancouver Island
                                                            University
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Kalind Chatterson   Vancouver       Langara College     University of
                                                            British Columbia
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Jennifer Rowe       Vancouver       Langara College     University of
                                                            British Columbia
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Kaeleen Foote       Prince Rupert   Northwest           University of
                                        Community College   Northern British
                                                            Columbia
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Sarah Palahicky     Terrace         Northwest           University of
                                        Community College   Northern British
                                                            Columbia
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Marie Ouellet       Kelowna         Okanagan College    Simon Fraser
                                                            University
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Sandra Bargery      Armstrong       Okanagan College    University of
                                                            British Columbia
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    James Powell        Vernon          Okanagan College    University of
                                                            British Columbia
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Christina Godfrey   Kaslo           Selkirk College     University of
                                                            Victoria
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    

For further information: Media information contact: Sharlene Smith, Victoria Foundation, Phone: [phone], www.bcscholarship.ca