Lynne Currie Legacy Bursary - Pemberton & District Health Care Foundation

Lynne Currie spent much of her extensive 45-year nursing career working throughout the Sea to Sky corridor. Her career took her from acute care nursing in Squamish General Hospital to home and community care serving Whistler, Pemberton, Mt Currie and beyond. Lynne was an extraordinary caregiver, educator, co-worker, leader and friend. Her family always remained her driving force and the mark she left on this world will never be forgotten.

The Lynne Currie Legacy Bursary is open to students from the Pemberton and District area. The Pemberton and District Health Care Foundation is proud to present a $2,000 bursary awarded annually to assist a student pursuing a career in health care. Should a student withdraw or transfer out of program in the same year, an equal portion of the refund would revert back to the Pemberton and District Health Care Foundation.

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Applications will be accepted from March 15th to May 15th each year and bursary will be awarded June 15th. The successful applicant will have the amount directly paid to the Canadian institution of the enrolled program.

Bursary Recipients

2024: Alia Meyers

My name is Alia, and I am a medical radiography student in my final term at BCIT. The medical radiography program is a highly intense two-year post-secondary program. The program trains people to become diagnostic X-ray technologists. The program contains much more than what most people traditionally think of when they imagine what an X-ray technologist does. For example, you are trained in operating room procedures and imaging, here you get to take X-ray images as surgery is being performed. Furthermore, I was trained in the basics of CT imaging and got to spend an entire term completing CT scans. BCIT allowed me to travel to three different hospitals within mainland British Columbia. I was fortunate enough to go to St. Paul’s Hospital, Abbotsford Regional Hospital, and Vancouver General Hospital. Clinical placements can also occur within the interior, including hospitals in Vernon, Kelowna, Kamloops, and more.

2023: Ayva Spiering

I am currently enrolled in the Camosun/UVic nursing program as a full-time student. In the spring and summer terms of third year, nursing students take on full-time, nursing workload in hospitals from May to August. Unlike many other program co-ops, nursing students are required to pay tuition for their summer practicum and do not receive payment for their work. This schedule leaves little opportunity for paid employment, which is particularly challenging given the high cost of living.

Nursing is a critically needed profession facing significant understaffing. Despite the high competitiveness and limited number of seats in nursing programs, there has been a shift in recent years. Unfilled seats in the program have been attributed to the unaffordable housing in Victoria and the difficulty of balancing work with the demands of the nursing curriculum. Therefore, bursaries and scholarships play a crucial role in supporting students through nursing school, enabling more nurses to enter the workforce and contribute to our healthy communities. Last year, I was fortunate to receive the Lynn Currie bursary, which played a helpful role in helping me make it through nursing school.

2022: Arriya Kuiper

Hi, My name is Arriya Kuiper. I am currently in my fourth year of nursing at the University of Victoria, gaining invaluable hands-on experience while practicing on the Orthopaedic/Trauma unit at Victoria General Hospital. After completing my studies, I plan to work at the hospital here for a year to further consolidate my practice before returning to the Sea to Sky area, where I hope to continue my nursing career.
Receiving the Lynn Currie Legacy Bursary has been a crucial support for me, allowing me to dedicate more time and energy to my education and clinical practice. Without this bursary, I wouldn’t have been able to contribute so much time and attention towards my studies and practice. The financial support has alleviated the pressure of balancing work and school, enabling me to focus on excelling in my program and gaining the best possible experience from the Camosun/UVic program. Beyond the financial support, receiving this bursary has profoundly impacted me by showing that my community believes in me and my potential as a future healthcare provider. I am profoundly grateful for this opportunity and am committed to making a positive impact in the healthcare field and my community. The Lynn Currie Bursary has not only supported my education but has also inspired me to strive for excellence in all my endeavors.