Ashcroft: Giving Back scholarship contest to fulfill the educational dreams of one deserving winner

Ashcroft Master Builder and Lethbridge College want to change the life of one deserving individual.

Applications are now open for the inaugural Ashcroft: Giving Back scholarship contest, where the winning recipient will receive a scholarship worth up to $10,000 in any of Lethbridge College’s available programs.

“It has always been very important to us to not only write a cheque to someone, but to be involved and lend a hand to people in need,” says Rodrigo Esparza, Ashcroft Master Builder General Manager and Partner. “We thought about people in need, people who have had challenges in life, and there is no better gift can we provide than the opportunity to go to school and start building their future.”

The contest will support those who have found barriers in the way of pursuing a post-secondary education. To enter the contest, participants need to fill out an online entry form and submit an essay explaining how a Lethbridge College education would change their life. The winner will be chosen by a panel of Lethbridge College judges.

“We’re looking for single parents, or young people who have had health issues, or maybe somebody who has always been looking for an opportunity to go to school but financially hasn’t been capable,” says Esparza. “We would like to see stories from anybody who sees this as an opportunity to jump into the next phase of their lives.”

The Ashcroft: Giving Back scholarship contest is the latest phase of a multifaceted partnership between Ashcroft and Lethbridge College. The initial phase was the Ashcroft Design Challenge, where the college’s Interior Design Technology students created competing home designs. Representatives from Ashcroft then chose the winning team and offered paid internships to the two winning students as the house is built in Garry Station. That home, The Emberly, designed by Lina Wiebe and Jada Kot, is currently under construction. Proceeds from the sale of that home will fund the student award that will be presented to the winner of the Giving Back scholarship contest.

“Ashcroft’s commitment to give back to the community through the college in such a wide variety of ways is inspiring,” says Dr. Paula Burns, Lethbridge College President and CEO. “They are using their platform as a leader in the southern Alberta business community to better the lives of those around them and we’re grateful that they see Lethbridge College as a valuable partner to make that happen.”

Submissions for the Ashcroft: Giving Back scholarship contest are now open and will be accepted through July 24. Full rules and eligibility guidelines are available on the Lethbridge College website at lethbridgecollege.ca/ashcroft. The winner will be announced at an event in August.

Ashcroft Master Builder Ltd. is an award-winning home builder based in Lethbridge. It was one of the first builders to take part in The College Home project with Lethbridge College and the Canadian Home Builders’ Association – Lethbridge Region.

This is the first year of a partnership between Ashcroft and Lethbridge College that includes both the Ashcroft Design Challenge and the Ashcroft: Giving Back scholarship contest. Plans are already in place for the partnership to continue into its second year and beyond.