A new scholarship is being launched by Suncrest College, brought forth by the first woman to fight fires with Regina Fire and Protective Services.
Marianne Boychuk holds many distinct titles, from her trailblazing past to becoming Regina's first woman to be named captain with Regina Fire. Her newest title is one she hopes blazes trails for the future: an Instructor with Suncrest College as well as a scholarship donor for the Fire program.
On Friday (Dec 1), Suncrest College officially unveiled the Marianne Boychuk Women in Firefighting Scholarship, a $10,000 credit for a female firefighter starting her training in the 20th platoon in April at the Saskatchewan Emergency Response Institution (SERI) near Melville.
"Removing one of the barriers for women to achieve their goal of becoming a firefighter, (this scholarship) will promote fire fighting as a great career choice for women. It may not occur to some women because we always don't see ourselves in the job. There aren't as many women in there. I also believe in lifting women up giving them an opportunity," Boychuk said.
"This commitment will do wonders for the winner of the scholarship, and ensure that the future of firefighting in this province includes equality. Suncrest College is extremely proud to receive this commitment from Marianne, and we can't thank her enough," said Suncrest Vice President of Partnerships & Innovation, Kami De Pape. "We hope to continue this partnership with Marianne into the future, so we're able to see more growth across this sector."
Boychuk said she hopes to continue to fund this scholarship through her work at the college, committing to donate the funds she receives as an employee at the college back into the scholarship that holds her name. Boychuk's initial $5,000 scholarship offer to Suncrest was also matched in full by the Government of Saskatchewan's Ministry of Advanced Education.
Applications for the scholarship are now open, with the closing date set as January 31st, 2024.
