Recipients of the 2018 Dr. Stewart Holmes Scholarships surround the namesake of the program after getting the awards at the 33rd Dr. Holmes Scholarship Tea on Nov. 17 at the former Eston Medical Clinic. (Back row left to right) Skylar Shaw of Elrose, Angela Heck of Glidden, Emily Faraday of Eston, Kellee Donaldson of Kindersley and Brooke McDonald of Elrose. (In front) Dr. Stewart Holmes (left) and Avery Ironside. Missing from the photo is Breanne Follensbee of Eatonia.
Kenneth Brown
of The Clarion
Students from Kindersley, Glidden and Eatonia are among the seven recipients of Dr. Stewart Holmes Scholarships in a special year for the retired physician.
The 33rd annual Scholarship Tea was held on Nov. 17 at the former Eston Medical Clinic building. Of the seven recipients, three are from the Kindersley area. It was a special year for the scholarship committee because Dr. Holmes celebrated his 90th birthday in July.
This year’s recipients included Bachelor of Science in Nursing student Kellee Donaldson of Kindersley, Bachelor of Science in Nursing student Emily Faraday of Eston, Medical Laboratory Technology student Breanne Follensbee of Eatonia, Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy student Angela Heck of Glidden, Masters of Kinesiology student Avery Ironside of Elrose, Masters of Occupational Therapy student Brooke McDonald of Elrose and Bachelor of Science in Nursing student Skylar Shaw of Elrose.
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The Dr. Stewart Holmes Scholarship Fund Inc., the formal name for the committee responsible for the scholarships, hands out awards each year to students from communities in the retired physician’s coverage area who are enrolled in post secondary health care programs.
Coralie Hartsook, the scholarship committee’s chairperson for the past three years, welcomed people to the event and she gave a bit of history about the program. She said the fund was created in 1985 and the first scholarships were awarded in 1986.
She noted that including this year’s recipients, the committee has awarded a total of 164 scholarships to students from Eston and area that are entering post secondary programs in the health care field. Donations make it possible.
“As a committee, we have been very grateful for all of the donations we have received,” she said, recognizing that donations are making an impact for future generations of health care providers. “Every donation counts, so we thank you for your generosity.”
Hartsook, a former scholarship recipient who worked with Dr. Holmes as a registered nurse in Eston, said the committee received a special donation of $10,000 in 2018 in recognition of the doctor’s 90th birthday. She told the crowd of more than 50 people that it is special for her to be a part of the scholarship program.
Holmes, who practiced medicine in Eston for nearly 60 years, was presented with a framed picture of himself to hang in the former clinic alongside other doctors that practiced in Eston over the years. The committee also provided Crave Cupcakes to celebrate his milestone birthday.
The doctor said he is very proud of the scholarship program in his name and he gave credit to the founders of the fund. He noted that in summary, he wanted to thank people for getting out on a cold, wintery day.
“Thanks very much for this excellent turnout,” Holmes said, adding that the committee responsible for the fund and the annual tea event does a yeoman job because the group takes great care to ensure the program and event are done right each year.
Each recipient is able to receive the scholarship twice. Donaldson, the recipient from Kindersley, was getting the scholarship for a second time. Donaldson was awarded the scholarship two years ago and she said the money came in handy to pay off tuition, so it was very helpful.
She noted that she is in the fourth year of her program at Medicine Hat College, but she is currently working to complete a rural practicum at Big Country Hospital in Oyen. The future nurse said she hopes to do her final preceptorship in Swift Current.
Donaldson, who will finish school in April, said she works in the emergency department in Oyen, so that has been exciting and it has been going well. The scholarship represents values she shares with the program’s namesake.
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