Heritage College Foundation celebrates 10 years of helping students pursue higher education

Board members Letitia Taylor (centre-left), Linton Garner (second row-right), Fatemeh Anvari (centre-right) and Brian Rock (far-right) with film director Guy Rex Rodgers (far-left) at the 10th anniversary of the Cégep Heritage College Foundation, April 29. (GN)

Photo Credit: Greg Newing

https://www.westquebecpost.com/heritage-college-foundation-celebrates-10-years-of-helping-students-pursue-higher-education

The Cégep Heritage College Foundation celebrated its 10th anniversary with an awards ceremony and documentary film screening at Heritage College on April 29. The foundation was formed in 2013 to provide financial assistance to Heritage College students in the Outaouais region. The Foundation helps students meet study related costs such as course materials, food, transportation and housing.
The event recognized individuals who were instrumental in establishing the foundation and who made a significant contribution to its work over the past decade, “10 years of existence is a great milestone. We wanted to reach back and thank people for their contributions to helping students achieve their aspirations,” said the foundation’s Executive Director Linton Garner, “Sometimes, at the start, it’s hard to see the impact, but over the past 10 years we have seen a lot of fruit,” he continued.
 “The proof of the hard work and determination of the founders is that the Heritage College Foundation has endured and many students have benefitted from its collaboration with the community over the past 10 years,” said the Foundation’s Chairperson, Letitia Taylor.  She noted that despite the foundation’s success, many students in the region still struggle with meeting basic costs, “30 – 50 % of students attending the College today are struggling with food insecurity; the cost of rental accommodation in the city can be an obstacle to ambitious and talented students and students living at a distance still need access to reliable, affordable transportation.”
Taylor said the Foundation aims to increase its funds for rent accommodations over the coming years given the increase in living costs. She explained that this calls for more partnerships and collaboration with other organizations in the community, “If we want to see a vibrant future in Quebec, we have to come around these students as a community to support and encourage them.”
This year, the foundation gave $10 000 to support students with emergency needs, helped create a space on campus where students can access food without cost, and plans to award 100 students with $1000 scholarships to help them cover study costs.
Michael Surur, a Heritage College student in social science and member of the Heritage Hurricanes basketball team shared some of his reflections on the event, “The Foundation is a great organization and I feel like being here today gave me more insight into its work. The contribution today was major, I really appreciate that.  We’re all grateful, not just me but all the students and my teammates.”
Following the awards ceremony was a screening of a recent documentary on the history of English-speaking communities in Quebec “What We Choose to Remember” by filmmaker Guy Rex Rodgers. The event ended with a social Q&A session with the director along with a 10th anniversary cake and refreshments.
The Heritage College Foundation is calling for volunteers to fill a wide range of roles including new board members, community outreach, fundraising and event logistics.  Those interested in volunteering can contact the foundation’s office at foundation.exd@cegep-heritage.qc.ca or call 819 778 2270 ext. 2127.