Student awarded Whitecourt Lodge bursary

By Laura Bohnert

One student’s tuition fees just got a little more manageable, thanks to Whitecourt Masonic Lodge.

This year’s recipient of the Whitecourt Lodge Higher Education Bursary is Jordyn Skinner. Skinner, who was awarded the $1,500 bursary on December 21, will be able to put the bursary towards her tuition fees at Red Deer College where she plans to attain a four-year degree in elementary education.

The Whitecourt Masonic Lodge Bursary is a higher education bursary. It is given out once per year to any student from Fox Creek, Whitecourt, Sangudo, or Mayerthorpe who plans to pursue his or her education beyond grade 12 — whether the student plans to attend college, university, or trade school makes no difference to who is awarded the bursary. The one-time scholarship does not have to be paid back by the student; it is intended to help mitigate the high costs of books and tuition fees in the pursuance of higher education.

The Whitecourt Masonic Lodge Higher Education Bursary has been around since before 1980 when Doug Ling, who is now secretary of the Whitecourt Masonic Lodge, first joined. “It has been around in excess of 35 years,” states Ling, who is also the contact for the bursary.