StFX student Jessie Doyle of Antigonish, NS is the 2016 recipient of the Holly E. Bartlett Memorial Bursary at StFX.
Jessie Doyle (second left) accepts the bursary from, l-r, Holly's mother Marion Bartlett, Holly's sister Amanda Jenkins, and Financial Aid Officer Mary Fisher-MacDonnell
Family, friends and members of the StFX community gathered for a ceremony held in the Annex on April 13 to celebrate the memory of StFX graduate Holly Bartlett and present the annual $500 award. Holly's mother, Marion Bartlett, and sister, Amanda Jenkins, were in attendance to present the bursary.
The award, started by the Bartlett family and friends, is available to a full-time undergraduate female student. The recipient must be from Atlantic Canada and have a minimum average of 75. The student must also demonstrate financial need and a commitment to community service and student activities.
Ms. Doyle is a second year Bachelor of Arts student. She was named to the Dean's List last year and is on track to achieve the same this year. She says she is passionate about advocating for mental health issues. Ms. Doyle has been involved in the L'Arche community for quite some time, and has recently taken a more active approach towards mental health advocacy through Peer Counselling and the X-Mental Health Organization.
Ms. Bartlett was born in Halifax, NS, with an eye condition called Microphtalmia characterized by small underdeveloped eyes. By the time she was 13 she rapidly lost what little sight she had. She graduated from Prince Andrew High in June 1997 with several awards and scholarships including The Walter & Wayne Gretzky Scholarship. She and her guide dog Willow started classes at StFX that fall.
In 2002, she graduated from StFX with an honours arts degree in psychology, earning a spot on the dean's list. She also attended Carleton University, received her human resources certificate from the Nova Scotia Community College, and at the time of her death in 2010, was working for the Department of Community Services and enrolled at Dalhousie University where she was working toward her master's in public administration. Her degree was awarded posthumously May 2011.
Ms. Bartlett is remembered as an independent young woman, with a great sense of humour, who never wanted her disability to define who she was. She was always looking for her next adventure and experienced sky diving, rock climbing and swing dancing.
