Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Okanagan College

Merritt’s Jake Tourand moved to Kelowna to attend Okanagan College this fall with some significant help – $5,000 of it – thanks to the Irving K. Barber Scholarship Society’s Transfer award.

Making a similar move was Lindsay Booth who completed her Associate of Science diploma at the College’s Salmon Arm campus and has now found her way to UBC Okanagan to complete a Bachelor’s degree with the same $5,000 award.

Tourand and Booth are among 163 post-secondary students in British Columbia who received a helping hand from the transfer scholarship which eases the costs for students transferring to another institution to complete their degree.

“This scholarship has made for an easy transition to a new school and new city,” says Tourand, who recently completed two years at the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology. “I was juggling two jobs while going to school and because of the award I didn’t feel the stress to find a job the moment I moved to Kelowna – I can focus more on school for once.”

Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Okanagan College

“I wasn’t sure what to expect from the College because I came from a really small school but I have to say I couldn’t have asked for a better experience here – the class sizes are good, my professors are great and everyone is really friendly,” says Tourand. “The College also gave me full credit for all of my completed courses which I didn’t find at other schools I applied to.”

Okanagan College is well known for its small class sizes and engaging professors, something Booth will certainly miss.

“My plan was always to start at the College, get my diploma and then go on to complete my degree,” explains Booth. “I watched a lot of friends go straight to UBCO from high school and really struggle with 300-person classes, busy professors and coursework expectations.

“I was lucky to stay at home for the first two years of school and am even more lucky to have this scholarship because it made the move to Kelowna and paying for my third year much easier – science text books are expensive!”

Applications for the 2018 Ike Barber Transfer Scholarships are now available. To find more information and to apply, visit www.ikbbc.ca.

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