A total of 29 students will receive a boost in their education journey thanks to the generosity of the late Gordon Wiebe.

On Wednesday evening, the 2nd Annual Gordon Wiebe Scholarship Awards were held in the atrium of the Winkler Civic Centre. The fund was created three years ago when local pharmacist, Gordon Wiebe bequeathed $2.2 million dollars, creating the fund to assist students in their post-secondary education. Three divisions were created to reach out to the most students possible in the area.

The Make It A Reality Scholarship, worth $20,000 over the course of a four-year degree, was awarded to Tyler Froese.

The Ongoing Education Support Scholarship, valued at $2,000 a year for each recipient, is given to students continuing their education in a four year degree. It is also renewable for up to two years. This year, there are 10 new recipients of this scholarship, and seven being renewed from last year.

The final scholarship, in partnership with the Garden Valley School Division, is the GVSD Award; a one-time award of $2,000 to five recent graduates from Garden Valley Collegiate and five from Northlands Parkway Collegiate. Recipients of this award are also eligible to apply for the Ongoing Education Support.

Jayna Janzen and Cameron Wiens both received the Ongoing Education Support Scholarship for a second year in a row. "It's very nice to have because it takes away the stress of having to pay for stuff, and makes going to school easier," said Janzen.

Both Janzen and Wiens are attending Brandon University in the Nursing and Business programs. Kezra Gerbrandt, a recent graduate from GVC, explained she is going to the University of Manitoba in the Faculty of Science. She is hoping to continue her education to become a pharmacist.

Philipp Unruh, a member of the Decision Committee, said, "I know as a relatively recent graduate, this means a lot for the recipients."

Unruh notes the committee consists of a wide age range of people, allowing for a vast spectrum of perspectives.

This year, a total of $64,000 was awarded to the 29 recipients of the fund.

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Make It A Reality Scholarship ($20,000):

Tyler Froese

Ongoing Education Support Scholarship ($2,000):

New:
Caleb Derksen,
Erika Wall,
Haley Ens,
Hannah Derksen,
Jenna Penner,
Jyana Loewen,
Leonore Schwarzkopf,
Marcail Wiebe,
Mitchell Dyck, and
Nicole Klassen

Renewing:
Alina Fischer,
Cameron Wiens,
Hailey Penner,
Janelle Ewert,
Jayna Janzen,
Jen Derksen,and
Noah Olfert

GVSD Awards ($2,000):

GVC:
Alyssa Ens,
Alina Grass,
Nasra al Hendi,
Kezra Gerbrandt, and
Tessa Warkentine

NPC:
Johann Klassen,
Mark Giesbrecht,
Natasha Friesen,
Violetta Hoppe, and
Simon Martel