Bursary set up in memory of Langara nursing student

Langara College is recognizing nursing student Jessica Radonich-Scanlan with a memorial bursary aimed at helping nursing students attend professional health conferences.

Scanlan was in her fourth year of the nursing program at Langara when she suffered a brain aneurysm and died in hospital on Thanksgiving weekend. She would have turned 24 this Saturday.

Scanlan’s family, in conjugation with Langara College and fourth year nursing students are putting the new bursary together.

They aim to raise $12,500 from which the interest earned will make up the award.

According to Pam Robertson, manager of alumni and donor relations at Langara, the amount of the award has not yet been determined.

“We try to keep awards over $500 so that it makes a real difference for students, but it will depend on how much the investment earns,” she said.

Bursaries make a real difference in students’ lives

A friend of Scanlan’s and fellow nursing student, Erica Carter said the bursary fills a void in scholarships available for nursing students.

Nursing conferences can be expensive and are often done on a student’s own time, she said. “[This bursary] is about supporting scholarly studies for serious nursing students.”

Nursing student Frances Huang remembered Scanlan as a student highly regarded by classmates.

“I think that honouring her with this scholarship will encourage people to follow in her footsteps, to strive to do their best and help others reach their potential,” said Huang in an email to The Voice.

According to nursing instructor Deb Filleul, Scanlan was “totally involved in the program and wanted to help others.”

“She was one of the nursing tutors for biology,” she said. “Not only the nursing faculty have been contributing to the fund, but students as well. She was a really popular young woman.”

The Scanlan memorial bursary has not yet raised enough funds to be a part of the fall awards ceremony on Nov. 27, but Pam Robertson said “they have reached the halfway point, with more donations coming in all the time.”

Donations can be made in-person at the advancement office in room A171a, or online.

Reported by Bill Everitt