Nielsen receives bursary

By Matthew Kirkpatrick

kirk0099@algonquincollege.com

When the Sens Foundation and Algonquin set up the Military Families Educational Endowment Fund last year, they had people like Leigh-Anne Nielsen in mind.

A strong military presence on each of Algonquin’s three campuses led the Sens Foundation to establish the fund with the noble intention of providing support for the troops and their families as they pursue post-secondary education.

Nielsen, a 33 year-old horticulture student, was watching the Senators square off against the Carolina Hurricanes on television Jan. 17, 2008, when she saw college president Bob Gillett flash across the screen with a big cheque in hand as part of the fourth annual Canadian Forces Appreciation Night.

“I e-mailed the school a week later to find out when [the bursary] was starting,” said Nielsen.

Unable to secure an OSAP loan and with her husband Vernon, an army captain serving his country in Afghanistan since early September, Nielsen was a prime candidate to receive the bursary.

“The military is in the front of people’s minds right now,” said Graham Thompson, Algonquin College Foundation planned giving and major gifts manager. “These men and women are going over there and they don’t know if they are coming back.”

With finances already tight and another school year on the horizon, Nielsen decided she would throw her hat in the ring this September, and became one of 58 students to submit an application for the first-year bursary.

“When we talked to her ... wow,” said Thompson. “She is looking after the home front, caring for the children while her husband is overseas and had a desire to go back to school,” said the Algonquin Foundation manager. “She is truly a strong person.”

Financial Aid made the final call and Nielsen was recently named as one of the original six recipients of the $1,000 bursary.