Learning that Inspires

Andrew John (Paralegal Services) is a recipient of the Law Foundation of Nova Scotia's Support for Excellence award.

Inspiration. It's a force that moves ordinary people to do extraordinary things, and it's the fuel that powers the work of the NSCC Foundation.

The NSCC Foundation connects the generous support of individuals and community partners to deserving students. Donors often tell us their gifts are inspired by students who triumphed over obstacles on their paths to education. Sometimes donors themselves become powerful sources of inspiration to the entire College community.

Vanessa Hammock established an award to inspire students in the Advenced Human Resources Management program.

The Swim for the College 2007 team pictured here in Greece.

Vanessa Hammock is one such inspiration. As a human resources professional with the Government of Nova Scotia, she found great satisfaction in the groundbreaking work she was able to do every day. But everything changed in 2006, when she was diagnosed with cancer. Facing the end stages of her disease, Vanessa wanted to do something to help others.

Working with the NSCC Foundation, Vanessa has created the C. Vanessa Hammock Award for students in the Advanced Human Resources Management Program. "I've been so impressed with the professionalism and knowledge I've seen in these students," she says. "I wanted to help them succeed in a career that has given so much to me."

NSCC employees see first-hand the difference student awards can make every single day. The opportunity to be a part of that difference is what inspired Swim for the College, a unique Foundation fundraiser that hit the water for the first time in 2007.

Twenty staff, students and friends of the College promised to raise $6,000 each by swimming 28 kilometres in the Mediterranean Sea. Together, they surpassed their fundraising target, collecting a total of $134,000 for scholarships and bursaries. Their success inspired another round of volunteers to take part in the swim this year.

Returning swimmer Marnie DeWolfe, who works in Food Services at NSCC's IT Campus, says the hours spent training and fundraising are all worthwhile in the end. "Every time things got tough - whether I was worried that I couldn't finish a swim or might not reach my fundraising goal - I would think about all of the students who would benefit from our efforts. That was the inspiration that kept me going."

Sometimes the generosity of donors is inspired by NSCC's capacity to deliver quality programs that graduate highly-skilled people into specific areas of the workforce. In 2008, the Law Foundation of Nova Scotia (LFNS) presented NSCC's Paralegal Services program with a $250,000 grant to be invested in student awards and other learning resources.

"Having a strong program to support paralegal training is so important to the legal industry in Nova Scotia," says LFNS Executive Director Kerry Oliver. "We wanted to make sure that high quality of education continues."

Andrew John is one of the first recipients of the Paralegal Services program Support for Excellence Award. "Winning this scholarship was a huge surprise to me," says Andrew. "It makes me even more determined to succeed."

The LFNS grant will also buy new legal materials for libraries at NSCC's Waterfront and Cumberland Campuses. "Having the most up-to-date reference materials ensures we can send our students out into the workforce with top level skills," says faculty member Gail Murphy.