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New graduate student nursing award creates lasting ties

trevor.kenney — Mon, 11 May 2015 15:58:37 +0000

Have you ever thought about what you’d do if you unexpectedly received a significant sum of money? Dr. Sonya Grypma did, and interestingly, one day she was given the opportunity to really figure it out.

Dr. Sonya Grypma created the Jacoba Vanden Brink Award to support nursing students by binding together dedication to others and academic success.

“It was a complete surprise,” Grypma says about the day she received an unexpected cheque in the mail. “It came from my uncle, and as soon as I got it my husband and I went right into, ‘what are we going to do with this?’ We never looked at the money as ours – we looked at it as something that had been entrusted to us, and we wanted it to have a wide circle of influence.”

Grypma has a PhD in nursing and is currently the dean at the School of Nursing at Trinity Western ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. At the time she received the cheque, however, Grypma was an assistant professor of nursing at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. Her passion for nursing education made Grypma’s decision on what to do with the funds fairly easy.

“Creating a scholarship felt like the right thing to do,” says Grypma. “I received a number of scholarships as a graduate nursing student and they were tremendously impactful on my education and career. The idea of helping other graduate nursing students that way was inspiring, and I knew that in doing so I’d be helping a lot of others in turn.”

The next decision Grypma faced was what name to give the award. Once again, she went with something close to her heart, and the Jacoba Vanden Brink Award was created.

The scholarship is named in honour of Grypma’s maternal grandmother, a Dutch immigrant with 13 children who came to Canada with her husband after the Second World War in pursuit of a better life. Grypma never had the chance to meet her grandmother, who was tragically killed in a car accident that happened just south of the Alberta border before Grypma was born. Vanden Brink was on her way home when she died, returning from a trip to the U.S. university her second-youngest son was attending – the first member of the Vanden Brink family to ever pursue a university education.

“The name ties so many things together for me,” says Grypma. “It pays homage to my grandmother’s strength and determination to transition her family into a new life. It honours my mother, who shares my grandmother’s first name. It upholds the value of a university education. It pays tribute to two of my uncles – the one who was attending university at the time my grandmother died, as well as my eldest uncle who entrusted the money to me and who took responsibility for the family after my grandparents passed. The accident happened near to Lethbridge, so there’s a tie there too. The Jacoba Vanden Brink Award is a deeply personal name for the scholarship, and to know that this money will work in service to others is really pleasing.”

Grypma's grandparents Bernardus and Jacoba Vanden Brink.

The Jacoba Vanden Brink Award is a $1,000 scholarship given each year to two graduate students in the U of L Faculty of Health Sciences – a first-year student and a second-year student. The first ever beneficiaries of the award, Mercy Enwere and Kim Veldman, received the scholarship last fall.

As both a previous recipient of scholarships and a current dean, Grypma has seen and experienced the effects of funding on both sides of the academic fence. Her take on the matter is as far-reaching and philosophical as her choice to create the Jacoba Vanden Brink Award.

“Nursing is a public service,” says Grypma. “A good nursing education doesn’t stop with one person – it rolls out to countless others. I received the help and affirmation I needed to succeed as a student, a nurse and an academic. This scholarship is a way for me to pay it forward while honouring people I know who dedicated themselves to helping others.”

Kim Veldman (BN ’14)
Master of Nursing student
Recipient of the Jacoba Vanden Brink Award

“The ability to help other students become great nurses is a dream of mine and I would like to become a clinical instructor of nursing students. I am extremely grateful for receiving the award because it enables me to focus on my schooling, and not stress over funds. Subsequently, I feel that the award will set me up for success in nursing.”

Pronghorn Athletics set to celebrate busiest weekend in history

trevor.kenney — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 17:23:59 +0000

Hosting a Canada West Championship automatically makes it a big weekend for Pronghorn Athletics but when another five teams are added to the mix, it makes for something even larger.

"It is a big weekend for us," says Sandy Slavin, executive director of Sport and Recreation Services. "For the staff it will be busy but for the fans it will be fun and exciting."

Beginning Friday, Oct. 22 and concluding Sunday afternoon, Oct. 24, the U of L campus will see 14 games contested, featuring five Pronghorns teams, all highlighted by the Canada West Women's Rugby Championship.

"Because some of our seasons are so short in duration, at times it is hard to avoid these overlaps between teams," says Slavin. "So for us to host 14 games in one three-day stretch, including a Canada West Championship, is a biggie."

In addition to the women's rugby program seeking its fourth consecutive Canada West title, Pronghorns men's and women's basketball teams are in action as they host their Canada West season openers. The Horns women's hockey team invites ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta Pandas to town for a pair of games and the men's and women's soccer programs each play two-game sets as they conclude their Canada West home schedules.

The only Horns team not playing on home soil is the men's hockey team, which heads to Edmonton to play ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta on the road.

"There is a lot of excitement in the office about it," says Slavin. "We are fortunate we have a number of rugby alumni that have come forward and are helping us plan the Canada West banquet, as well as help out at the stadium during the games.

"A number of the girls registered in our Rugby Academy are also stepping forward to help as ball girls for the games."

There will be a big alumni presence all weekend, and the opportunity to showcase U of L athletics facilities, all brimming with action, is the perfect way to showcase Pronghorn Athletics to the broader community.

Slavin says special ticketing prices are being offered to bring people to campus.

"We are offering some flexible ticketing packages to encourage people to get out to as many games as possible."

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Alumni are also eligible to purchase a weekend pass for $10, allowing them to attend any of the Pronghorn games. These passes can be picked up at the Sport and Recreation Department. There will also be a tailgate BBQ on Sunday at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Community Stadium.

"It should be a great weekend," adds Slavin. "Our rugby team is the most successful team in the country the last three years and now they get an opportunity to showcase themselves at the new stadium in front of a hometown crowd. Everybody's very excited about our basketball teams this year, so we expect enthusiastic crowds at the gym both nights, and the women's hockey program continues moving forward and it's always a great weekend when the Pandas come to town."

Following is the weekend schedule

Canada West Rugby Championships at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Community Stadium
- Friday October 22nd

11:00am – Semi-Final 1 (Pronghorns vs. #4 Seed)

1:00pm – Semi-Final 2 (#2 Seed vs. #3 Seed)

- Sunday October 24th

11:00am – Bronze Medal Game

1:00pm – Championship Game

Pronghorn Men's & Women's Basketball Home Opener at the 1st Choice Savings Centre
- Friday October 22nd

6:00pm – Pronghorn Women's Basketball vs. Trinity Western ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ

8:00pm – Pronghorn Men's Basketball vs. Trinity Western ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ

- Saturday October 23rd

6:00pm – Pronghorn Women's Basketball vs. Trinity Western ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ

8:00pm – Pronghorn Men's Basketball vs. Trinity Western ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ

Pronghorn Men's & Women's Soccer at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Community Stadium
- Saturday October 23rd

12:00pm – Pronghorn Women's Soccer vs. ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta

2:00pm – Pronghorn Men's Soccer vs. ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta

- Sunday October 24th

12:00pm – Pronghorn Women's Soccer vs. ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan

2:00pm – Pronghorn Men's Soccer vs. ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan

Pronghorn Women's Hockey at the Nicholas Sheran Ice Arena
- Friday October 22nd

7:00pm – Pronghorn Women's Hockey vs. ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta

- Saturday October 23rd

7:00pm – Pronghorn Women's Hockey vs. ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta

UNews - Trinity Western ��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ

New graduate student nursing award creates lasting ties

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Pronghorn Athletics set to celebrate busiest weekend in history

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