Great Plains College student one of 10 to receive prestigious bursary
Great Plains College is proud to announce Kaitlin Kretsch, a second year Practical Nursing student at the Swift Current Campus, was one of 10 students in Canada to be awarded a Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICAN) Paul and Gerri Charette Bursary.
The Charette family established this national bursary program in hopes of making a difference in students’ lives.
The $5,000 bursary is awarded annually to students that demonstrate financial need and face significant challenges or barriers to participating in and completing their post-secondary education. Each post-secondary institution with a CICAN membership can submit one eligible student to be considered by the CICAN national committee for this bursary.
Kaitlin first discovered her calling to healthcare after spending time in the hospital with her grandma before she passed. Being a single mom of three kids, going back to school has not been easy. Kaitlin first came to Great Plains College to complete her Continuing Care Assistant (CCA) certificate, where she graduated with impressive grades and began working in long-term care while she awaited acceptance into the Practical Nursing program, which came a few years later.
“As we read through all of the bursary submissions from Great Plains College students, we were deeply moved by Kaitlin’s story and the perseverance she’s shown,” said Keleah Ostrander, vice president, programs and students at Great Plains College.
“The Practical Nursing program is demanding, and Kaitlin has managed to persist through the many challenges of going to school full-time, keeping up with her busy kids, and taking night shifts as a CCA to continue supporting her family.”
This bursary came at just the right time to help Kaitlin receive the financial support she needed to complete the last 6 months of her diploma.
“This bursary changed my life; before finding out my application was successful, I wasn’t sure if I could continue with my studies due to the intense financial stress we were under,” said Kretsch.
“I was going to need to find a way to work 3-4 night shifts per week, while keeping up with my program and kids, which felt impossible. This gift will help cover the necessities so I can continue my studies and take care of myself so I can put my best foot forward for my kids and my patients. I’m grateful for all the support from my family, my classmates and instructors, and this bursary to help get me to the finish line of my diploma, which is a dream for me and my family.”
To learn more about the CICAN Paul and Gerri Charette Bursary, visit collegesinstitutes.ca/our-members/ cican-bursaries/cican-paul-and-gerricharette-bursary-program/.