Scholarships ceremony sees more than $150,000 put into hands of deserving STM students

Students and their family, friends and supporters filled the Fr. O’Donnell Auditorium on Sunday as 45 scholarships and awards were handed out to more than 70 St. Thomas More College (STM) students.

In all, more than $150,000 was given out to the hard-working students.

Some awards reflected their academic achievement, while others rewarded leadership and community involvement.

All were richly deserved.

“Your God-given gifts and hard work have brought you to this point and it's a privilege for us to recognize your outstanding talents and to play a role in helping you achieve your potential,” said Dr. Carl Still, President of STM, in his address to attendees. “Our college was founded to produce leaders, people who would be able to improve the society we live in, for themselves and for others.”

“The fact that you're here today receiving a scholarship, shows that you're already a leader among your fellow students. You are the ones who are making the top grades in your classes. You're the ones who are stepping up to lead our student groups. You are the ones who are volunteering with our community partners.”

“You are the ones who are teaching people like me what kind of world you want to live in, and what all of us need to be doing now to change course, to head towards that future.”

Still also noted that the College would have no occasion at all to be here if it weren't for its builders and supporters.

“We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to all of them. Through their generosity, today STM will be giving out over $150,000 to our students.”

“Today, our students get to meet their benefactors, and donors get to see their faith in our students rewarded. That's ultimately why we have this event -- to enable student award winners to meet the people behind the awards.”

“We set up the opportunity to say, thank you for believing in me.”

“So, on behalf of all of us at St. Thomas for College, I thank all our donors for your generosity and your presence here today. Your trust in the College to steward your gifts enables us to live on our mission as a Catholic liberal arts college, and your belief in our students and their potential has the power to transform their lives and our society through the contributions they will go on to make.”

Connie Andersen, Director of Advancement, noted several donors, or their representatives, were in attendance to present the awards directly to the recipients, including Carol Cisecki, Margaret and Tammy Marche, Irene Ositis-Schmeiser, Michel Thibault, Bev and Johnna Van Parys, Rose Woloschuk, and Sharon Wright.

“We are very, very fortunate to have them with us this afternoon to present these awards.”

She also affirmed that for those donors who are now deceased, their name lives on in their awards, which is an ongoing gift of solidarity for STM students.

STM faculty members Dr. Michael Cichon and Dr. Janel Fergusson served as masters of ceremony for the afternoon, and newly installed Dean Sarah Knudson said a final word of thanks to all the organizers of the event, Andersen and her Advancement team, hosts Dr. Cichon and Dr. Fergusson, the Marketing and Communications team, Dean Schmidt who coordinated the event, and to the members of the Scholarship and Awards committee.

She also gave a special word of gratitude to Associate Dean Dr. Gerry Farthing, and his staff members, for living out the mission and spirit of the Basilian founders of the College so well in their daily work lives.

“I would like to thank all members of the Student Services team for connecting with students in such a way that they're not only aware of our scholarships, but that they feel supported, and also, very importantly, that they feel confident enough to even apply for them and take that first step.”