February 26, 2025
Education News Canada

SURREY SCHOOLS
Four Cloverdale Learning Centre students receive $10,000 bursaries from Clarence Heppell Foundation

February 26, 2025

Four Grade 12 students at the Cloverdale Learning Centre (CLC) are among the latest recipients of bursaries from the Clarence Heppell Foundation (CHF), recognizing their hard work and dedication to their studies while facing challenging life circumstances.

The CHF bursaries provide soon-to-be graduates with two- to four-year bursaries worth $10,000 per year to pursue university, college, trade schools or other post-secondary institutes, leading to a degree, diploma or certificate that will enable them to earn a living wage. The goal of the foundation is to financially support students who otherwise would not have a chance to go to post-secondary, and considers students' academic performance, evidence of perseverance in facing life's challenges, the depth of their commitment to their chosen career and their financial situations.

"It is, in my opinion, a life-changing amount of money for anyone, and our students were absolutely thrilled at the news," said CLC counsellor Brigitte Bourassa-LeBlanc. "They really met the criteria and presented well so I felt confident in their chances."

Bourassa-LeBlanc said she and other CLC staff worked through the application process with students who met the criteria of having financial needs, being on-track to graduate and showing interest in pursuing work in a field that would lead to gainful employment. Staff also provided students with the option of having a trusted adult in the room during interviews with the foundation for support.

"The interviews were quite in-depth," she said. "They had to do with their experience as a student so far, the challenges and obstacles they have faced, and what it would be like for them to receive the bursary and their plan and how they would achieve that."

Bourassa-LeBlanc said the CHF bursaries are much more accessible to the learning centre's students compared to other scholarships and really take into consideration the individual life circumstances of each student, many of which are beyond their control.

For the first two years of schooling, the four students will receive $5,000 per semester, paid directly to their post-secondary institutions, with an additional $750 per semester for other school-related expenses. After two years, if any of the students are pursuing a longer program and still meet the criteria, they can reapply for another two years of support.

For Bourassa-LeBlanc, she said she is happy to see how much of an impact the bursaries will have on the students' success after finishing Grade 12, and she's thankful for organizations like the CHF that support students in need.

"Our students are lovely people," she said. "They really deserve a chance to reach their potential, and that's what something like this accomplishes."

Congratulations to our bursary recipients from the Cloverdale Learning Centre! And a big thank you to the Clarence Heppell Foundation!

For more information

Surrey Schools
14033 92nd Avenue
Surrey British Columbia
Canada V3V 0B7
www.surreyschools.ca


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