The former Red Deer College Support Staff Association has created a $230,000 endowment fund for deserving RDC students.
In 2011, the RDC Support Staff Association joined the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE). This left the former Association with a large sum of money collected over the years. After consulting with its membership it was decided that the money would best be used to impact RDC students today, and for years to come.
“We want others in our community to support their college,” says Shawn Deveau, chair of the local chapter of AUPE. “We believe legacy starts here. We’re the frontline support working with students on a daily basis and we’d be missing the point if we didn’t step up to the plate and lead in giving.”
The RDC Support Staff Legacy Endowment will provide six annual scholarships equaling $1,000 each, to be awarded starting in 2013.
“This new endowment is yet another example of the staff’s dedication to students here at RDC. The extra funds provided by scholarships greatly benefits a student’s experience by lessening the monetary pressures that we face when pursuing post-secondary education,” says Eric Peppink, Students’ Association president.
Eligibility for the award is: any student entering or continuing full-time studies in any RDC Program, including Apprenticeship, who is a member of AUPE; an immediate family member of an AUPE member; a student sponsored by an AUPE member. Students must show financial need and have a minimum GPA of 2.7 to qualify. Students can apply for this scholarship online and find out further eligibility requirements.
“The decision by the support staff to invest generously in the success of our students, with a permanent endowment, reflects community leadership and their own commitment to RDC,” says Michael Donlevy, vice president, community relations. “We are continually grateful for the support we receive from individual staff and faculty who work at the College that helps bring excellence to the classroom. For all of us who work at RDC, it always comes back to our students – they are our core.”
-Weber
