Katie Cares has awarded the 4th annual Kaitlyn Marie Reimer Scholarship to Cheyenne Thiessen, a Garden Valley Collegiate graduate pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a minor in Creative Writing at Brandon University.
Cheyenne received the $2,000 scholarship in recognition of her hard work, dedication, and commitment to making a difference.
‘A hand up, not a handout’
“This is our fourth year... It’s funnelled through the Winkler Community Foundation, but the money actually comes from the Winnipeg Community Foundation,” explained Ruth Reimer, founder of Katie Cares. “It started with a couple that wanted to give back to the community. And they wanted to help... a student with a hand up, not a handout.”
The scholarship was established by Kerry and Darlene Pollock in memory of Kaitlyn Marie Reimer, and Ruth Reimer says it stemmed from a chance connection.
“They came through our cottage tour. Lovely couple. And we just connected, and I’m forever grateful to them for what they’ve done, and they just wanted to give it in memory of Kaitlyn.”
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'How will you make a difference?’
Each year, Garden Valley Collegiate shares information on the scholarship alongside others. Interested students are invited to submit an essay answering a question that requires some serious consideration and self-reflection on their part.
“How will you make a difference in the world? What will you do to make an impact, to help someone else? And so, she wrote this beautiful essay,” said Reimer. “This year was really, really tough, and they all were deserving—all of them. But you finally have to come down to one, and we chose Cheyenne. As a family, we chose Cheyenne.”
As Katie Reimer went to GVC, the scholarship has been made available to GVC students and is accessible through the school’s guidance program.
A bright path ahead
In closing, Reimer said, “I want to congratulate Cheyenne. She was well deserving. I want to thank again Winkler Community Foundation and the Winnipeg Community Foundation for their support and for how they handle the scholarship. And to Darlene and Kerry Pollock for their involvement in this.”
- photo provided by Ruth Reimer -