COLLEGE OF NEW CALEDONIA
CNC nursing student receives national scholarship for her academic success and contributions to the inflammatory bowel disease community

College of New Caledonia (CNC) Nursing Baccalaureate student Wynne Fitzpatrick recently got awarded a $5,000 national scholarship from Crohn's and Colitis Canada for her academic aspirations and positive impact on the Canadian inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) community.

Wynne Fitzpatrick in CNC's Nursing Lab

Crohn's and Colitis Canada's AbbVie IBD Scholarship Program annually awards 15 students living with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis to make it easier for them to pursue their post-secondary studies and passions. One IBD scholarship recipient is selected each year for the Clinton Shard Memorial Scholarship.

"It wasn't easy navigating school life in between trips to the BC Children's Hospital in Vancouver, surgeries and recovery," explains Wynne. "When I first got my diagnosis at age 13, I was really shy and anxious about it. It was also hard on my mental health with classmates not understanding why I'd miss school or homework. Having this national recognition and knowing I have so many people and peers supporting me, means so much."

Kate Lee, PhD, MBA, Vice President, Research and Patient Programs, Crohn's and Colitis Canada, says: "Since 2012, we've partnered with AbbVie Canada to help 154 postsecondary students with Crohn's or colitis with $5,000 scholarships. Each of their stories of resilience in the face of living with an unpredictable chronic disease is truly inspiring."

Commitment to becoming a local nurse

Inspired by one of the nurses in the BC Children's Hospital and others in the IBD community, Wynne has become a vocal champion, advocate and fundraiser for kids and youth living with chronic pain and illnesses.

She has participated in the Vanderhoof/Prince George Gutsy Walk since 2020 and was Honorary Chair in her first year. On top of that, Wynne has raised over $62,000 for the BC Children's Hospital and actively shares her story on social media to address the stigma around Crohn's disease and ostomy bags (collection pouches).

Because of the severity of her Crohn's disease, Wynne cannot get the necessary health care in her hometown Vanderhoof. Instead, her and her family have to travel 10 hours to Vancouver. Her own health journey, and the challenges that have come along with it, influenced her to find her calling into nursing.

"In a way, Crohn's is giving back to me," shares Wynne. "I'm going to stay true to the promise I made in the scholarship application: making a positive change and becoming a local nurse in northern B.C."

Anyone interested in learning more about CNC's Nursing Baccalaureate degree in partnership with UNBC or other health sciences programs, can visit the College's program pages or speak to a Future Student Advisor. To learn more about Wynne's experiences in the program, read her story on CNC's newsroom.