Recipients of the 2018 Dr. Stewart Holmes Scholarships surround the namesake of the program after getting the awards at the 33rd Dr. Holmes Scholarship Tea on Nov. 17 at the former Eston Medical Clinic. (Back row left to right) Skylar Shaw of Elrose, Angela Heck of Glidden, Emily Faraday of Eston, Kellee Donaldson of Kindersley and Brooke McDonald of Elrose. (In front) Dr. Stewart Holmes (left) and Avery Ironside. Missing from the photo is Breanne Follensbee of Eatonia.
Kenneth Brown
of The Crossroads
A total of seven health care students from the west central region have received Dr. Stewart Holmes Scholarships after an annual event this past weekend.
The 33rd annual Scholarship Tea was held on Nov. 17 at the former Eston Medical Clinic building. This year’s recipients are from Eston, Eatonia, Elrose, Glidden and Kindersley. It was a special year for the scholarship committee because Dr. Holmes celebrated his 90th birthday in July.
This year’s recipients included Bachelor of Science in Nursing student Kellee Donaldson of Kindersley, Bachelor of Science in Nursing student Emily Faraday of Eston, Medical Laboratory Technology student Breanne Follensbee of Eatonia, Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy student Angela Heck of Glidden, Masters of Kinesiology student Avery Ironside of Elrose, Masters of Occupational Therapy student Brooke McDonald of Elrose and Bachelor of Science in Nursing student Skylar Shaw of Elrose.
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The Dr. Stewart Holmes Scholarship Fund Inc., the formal name for the committee responsible for the scholarships, hands out awards each year to students from communities in the retired physician’s coverage area who are enrolled in post secondary health care programs.
Coralie Hartsook, the scholarship committee’s chairperson for the past three years, welcomed people to the event and she gave a bit of history about the program. She said the fund was created in 1985 and the first scholarships were awarded in 1986.
She noted that including this year’s recipients, the committee has awarded a total of 164 scholarships to students from Eston and area that are entering post secondary programs in the health care field. Donations make it possible.
“As a committee, we have been very grateful for all of the donations we have received,” she said, recognizing that donations are making an impact for future generations of health care providers. “Every donation counts, so we thank you for your generosity.”
Hartsook, a former scholarship recipient who worked with Dr. Holmes as a registered nurse in Eston, said the committee received a special donation of $10,000 in 2018 in recognition of the doctor’s 90th birthday. She told the crowd of more than 50 people that it is special for her to be a part of the scholarship program.
Holmes, who practiced medicine in Eston for nearly 60 years, was presented with a framed picture of himself to hang in the former clinic alongside other doctors that practiced in Eston over the years. The committee also provided Crave Cupcakes to celebrate his milestone birthday.
Scholarships are available to students enrolled in post secondary programs in the health care field. Students from the retired physician’s coverage area are able to apply for the award that it includes students from Brock, Eatonia, Elrose, Eston, Kindersley and Kyle.
The doctor said he is very proud of the scholarship program in his name and he gave credit to the founders of the fund. He noted that in summary, he wanted to thank people for getting out on a cold, wintery day.
“Thanks very much for this excellent turnout,” Holmes said, adding that the committee responsible for the fund and the annual tea event does a yeoman job because the group takes great care to ensure the program and event are well done.
A student could receive a scholarship up to two times and two of this year’s recipients, Donaldson and Ironside, received the scholarship for a second time. The awards are presented to recipients by Dr. Holmes. In interviews, each recipient said they were thankful and the money would be helpful.
Donaldson, the recipient from Kindersley, said she is in the fourth year of a program at Medicine Hat College, but she is currently working to complete a rural practicum at Big Country Hospital in Oyen. The student said she hopes to do her final preceptorship in Swift Current.
She noted that she is working in the emergency department in Oyen, so that has been exciting and it has been going well. The scholarship represents values she shares with the program’s namesake, so it is special for her.
“It’s an honour,” she said, recognizing that she only met Dr. Holmes two years ago and he serves as an inspiration for her because she relates to the values he upheld in his practice. ”Nursing isn’t just a career to me. It’s very much a dream that I’ve had since I was little, so I want to make a difference in the health care world.”
Donaldson was busy making a difference in Ethiopia and Malawi this past August. She said she spent two weeks working as an undergraduate nurse in the two African countries and she was part of a group hosting clinics in small, often secluded, villages.
Faraday, who is a first-time recipient, said she was born and raised in Eston, so she has been under the care of Dr. Holmes in the past. The nursing student is in the second year of a program at Saskatchewan Polytechnic and University of Regina. She said it is nice to receive the scholarship at home.
“It’s really special,” Faraday said, recognizing it is an honour for her to earn a Dr. Holmes scholarship. “Ever since I got into school, I’ve always just known that I wanted to apply and it would just be really special to receive one.”
Ironside said Dr. Holmes is a great role model and the support cannot be appreciated enough, especially with his acceptance into medical school. He said he is finishing his Masters of Kinesiology program at the University of Saskatchewan, and then he will start medical school. He added that he looks forward to a career in medicine because it would allow him to give back to his community.
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