The difference-making legacy of Kaitlyn Reimer continues to live on through others.
It was always Kaitlyn's dream and vision to give back to the community, and when she was diagnosed with cancer, she founded Katie Cares.
Tuesday evening Kaitlyn's mom, Ruth Reimer was thrilled to present the second annual Kaitlyn Marie Reimer Scholarship to grade 12 Garden Valley Collegiate student, Lauren Wolfe.
"It's exciting because it's growing," replied Reimer when asked about the legacy that Kaitlyn began. "It's making a difference, and that's what Kaitlyn wanted."
Reimer says Kailyn's legacy continues every day when somebody like Lauren "gets it," they can make that difference for her (Kaitlyn). "You can't say it enough."
"There's a lot of good applicants that come, but one just kind of sticks out because it's something that Kaitlyn said or did or, it just resonates with you, and Lauren resonated with us. And as a family, we sit down and we make a choice."
"I'm so excited to be here. I feel so honored to be chosen for the scholarship," said Lauren, reacting to receiving the award
Lauren says she wants to make a lasting positive impact in the lives of young students and plans to become a teacher. She says she's very honored and feels very special to have been selected by the Reimer family.
"Just the scholarship itself will help me a great deal with the financial aspect of university. But, I also just feel so special to be chosen for this. I knew there were a couple of really intelligent and amazing individuals chosen to apply for this scholarship, and I feel so special to be chosen to win it."
Lauren says part of the process for applicants, involved writing an essay about how they could see themselves creating change. With plans to attend university to become a teacher, she says wrote a lot about how she wants to create change in her classroom.
"I actually had the opportunity to work in a Grade 5 classroom during my last semester of high school, through my Career Development class and I got to see firsthand what it was like to be a teacher. I could see the learning gaps and just the different student's needs that they had, and the ways that they needed support and help. I want to be the kind of teacher that meets all of those needs, that goes out of the way to be a teacher that my students will remember me as."
Open to Garden Valley Collegiate (GVC) Students, Kaitlyn's former high school in Winkler, it was created thanks to a donation by Kerry and Darlene Pollock. The Pollocks wanted to honor Kaitlyn's legacy and keep her memory alive.
The fund is facilitated by the Winkler Community Foundation.
- with files by Ronny Guenther -
