Crystal Bryan has come a long way in her educational journey, not only with the degrees and diplomas she's earned, but also in miles travelled.
Hailing from Jamaica, Bryan moved to Canada when she was 15 years old in pursuit of her life-long goal of becoming a pilot.
Crystal Bryan holds her ATHENA Scholarship plaque at the 25th annual ATHENA Scholarship Fund luncheon at the St. Clair College Centre for the Arts on Nov. 1, 2024. (Rich Garton/St. Clair College)
Now with her private pilot license in hand, she's also reaching new heights as one of four locals being honoured at the annual ATHENA Scholarship Awards luncheon, hosted at the St. Clair College Centre for the Arts on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024.
"It's a pretty, pretty cool honour," said Lt. Bryan, who now works as a public affairs officer for the 3rd Canadian Ranger Patrol Group with the Canadian Armed Forces Reserve. "This honour means that the work that you do, whether people see it or not, it has an impact."
The ATHENA Scholarship Program was created in 1999 for full-time post-secondary students aged 18-30. To receive the honour, not only do award recipients need to excel academically, but they must also be interested in increasing leadership opportunities for women and strive to enhance quality of life in the community.
Lt. Bryan checked those boxes, and then some, making her a deserving recipient of the of the ATHENA Scholarship during the 25th anniversary of the Athena Awards in Windsor.
"If you keep working, eventually someone's going to notice and someone's going to recognize it, and hopefully let the work continue to speak for itself," she said.
Loretta Stoyka, President of the ATHENA Scholarship Fund Windsor, reflected on the 25-year milestone.
"For 25 years, this scholarship program has embodied the ATHENA philosophy, which maintains that by elevating individuals with potential and strong values, we help them become exceptional role models," said Stoyka. "The belief is that, through their example, others will be inspired to strive for excellence. Windsor is at the forefront of this scholarship program and continues to enhance the opportunity each year."
When Lt. Bryan emigrated from Jamaica to Canada, she initially landed in Pickering, Ont. during her Grade 10 year. Her family moved to Canada because there were more opportunities for Bryan to train as a pilot.
She enrolled in the Air Cadets program and first attended the University of Windsor, where she pursued a four-year Liberal Arts degree in professional studies, while studying in the aeronautics program.
But her attempts to pilot a plane were initially curbed in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic swept the globe, creating low demand for people in that profession. She was forced to reset her priorities and find a way to incorporate her existing knowledge base with new skill sets.
So Lt. Bryan decided to pursue more education - initially considering a master's degree, but instead opting to join St. Clair College's two-year Public Relations program.
"It was a great opportunity. I got to use and learn skills that could be used on TV, radio, and podcasting, which was fairly new and was just coming to the surface," Bryan recalled. "It was a lot of hands-on skills, which is what I was looking for to enhance the skills that I already had."
Bryan's professors speak very highly of her, saying she was an exceptional student from the start.
"As a business owner, she really brought a lot of value to the classroom. Her perspective helped provide real-world examples of the curriculum we covered, which helped fellow students understand the subject matter in a more comprehensive way," said Rebecca Wright, the program coordinator for the Public Relations program. "She was always more than willing to help other students in the program, and we really appreciated that as a faculty."
Wright noted Bryan was quick to volunteer for events or campaigns to promote recruitment and marketing of the programs offered at The MediaPlex.
"Crystal is so deserving of this prestigious recognition. She works so hard both in the classroom and in the community. She is such an engaged and creative individual who has already gone so far in her career," said Wright. "We're all looking forward to her bright future ahead, and we're so happy and proud that she's been awarded the ATHENA Scholarship. This will certainly help propel her success in many ways."
Lt. Bryan is no shrinking violet, always putting herself "out there" and trying her hands at new challenges. During her time studying, she became engaged with Enactus at St. Clair - part of a global effort that allows students to engage in social enterprise, develop community projects and make change, then showcase it through competition.
"I learned that when you actually get involved in the school, that is when you get more out of it," she said.
Her Enactus team brought back six trophies and was awarded top-20 in Canada, back-to-back years.
"They gave me the opportunity to go to the World Cup in the Netherlands," said Bryan. "I've been able to get a lot of my work for the College featured through Enactus, so they have also been a great networking tool."
Lt. Bryan leveraged these College experiences and education into a series of work opportunities: first for Jump Realty in Windsor, and then as an intern taking photographs for Windsor Fire and Rescue Services.
"While I was still in school, especially Public Relations, I sought out opportunities because we have to do internships. I sought out the opportunities that will afford me the exposure to get into these careers, or at least see what's out there so that I can start applying or building my portfolio for that," said Bryan.
She would later become a public relations intern with the non-profit agency Developing Young Leaders of Tomorrow, Today (DYLOTT), a Black youth-focused leadership incubator.
"There's a lot of transferable skills that I was able to take, both from university and college that really benefits me in my day-to-day career," she said. "There's communication, writing, reading, just general communicating, talking with people, relating to them, and listening. It's crucial skills like those that come in handy, every single day."
Before joining the Canadian Rangers, Lt. Bryan worked as a unit public affairs representative for the Armed Forces Reserve in Southwestern Ontario. Bryan also acts as a mentor and coach to youth in the 364 Lancaster Air Cadet Squadron.
Her initial goal of becoming a pilot is still very much alive. Lt. Bryan has her private pilot's license, night rating, and hopes to one day become a certified commercial pilot. But she said those plans are currently on the backburner while she pursues her public affairs career in the Canadian Armed Forces Reserve.
Bryan is the recipient of the scholarship named in honour of Patti France, former President of St. Clair College, recognized for her leadership in advancing education and her unwavering support of students and the community, including the ATHENA Scholarship Fund Windsor.
Lt. Bryan adds receiving honours like the ATHENA Scholarship help drive her ambition to grow, both personally and professionally.
"A little pat on the back never hurts anyone, it just encourages good work," Bryan said, with a smile. "I do the work for the people that I do the work for, and it's not for the recognition or the fame."
"It is for the upliftment of the community, and to inject a little bit more positivity in a world that's full of negativity."
