A new scholarship is now available to support students entering a full-time trade or vocational program at North Island College in Campbell River. The Michael Pallan Memorial Scholarship, which will award three students $1,080 each, was generously established by BR (Tom) and Kulwant (Koko) Pallan in memory of their son.
“We wanted to give something back to our community and, at the same time, establish something that would carry on for a long time in the memory of our son Michael who passed away at too young an age,” Pallan explains.
In December 2005, the Pallans endowed funds to the NIC Foundation to establish a memorial scholarship. Interest from the endowment will provide three annual scholarships, which have been designated to students entering trades at NIC and, specifically, those living in Campbell River.
“Education is the most important thing our community can provide for its kids,” says Pallan. “Our community needs educated people, and more than ever, it needs people with good skills in trades.”
Over the years, Tom and Koko Pallan have quietly supported a number of local organizations. They are also benefactors of the CR Museum and the CR Hospital Foundation. “Campbell River has been very good to us,” says Pallan. “And we felt, for us, it was time to give back. “
The Pallans are looking forward to attending North Island College’s June 2007 Award Ceremony, where the scholarship will be presented for the first time. “If this scholarship motivates a recipient to further their education or helps somebody who normally wouldn’t be able to go to school, we think that would be wonderful,” Pallan adds.
“Thanks to the generosity of Foundation donors like Tom and Koko Pallan, more students than ever will be able to make their educational goals a reality,” says NIC President Lou Dryden. “At the Foundation Awards ceremonies this spring, North Island College will be presenting over $150,000 to 240 NIC students. That’s a record in our Foundation’s history.”
Students are encouraged to apply for the Michael Pallan Memorial Scholarship and other NIC Foundation awards as soon as possible. Information and application forms are published in the North Island College Foundation Awards Booklets, which are available online: www.nic.bc.ca, at NIC Financial Aid offices (call 923-9712), and at area high schools. The deadline to apply is April 30th, 2007.
Image: (Left to right) Lou Dryden, NIC President; Kulwant (Koko) Pallan; BR (Tom) Pallan; Don Gillingham, Dean, Trades, Technology & Tourism; at the NIC Campbell River Campus.
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For further information contact:
Susan Toresdahl
Director College Relations
(250) 334-5271
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