Georgian College

22 GEORGIANVIEW SPRING 2023 STORIES OF IMPACT Community philanthropists honour their mother Nancy McCullough and Craig Wallwin knew their late mother Verdi Wallwin was very proud of graduating as a registered nurse. Throughout her life, her 1953 graduation photo hung outside her bedroom, and she kept her nursing caps neatly stored. What they didn't realize was that she'd also carefully saved so much more related to her time as a nursing student. "I found it all when I was cleaning out my parents' home," said Nancy. "There was a ring, a pin, even her shoes. She kept all her textbooks, work journals, notes and exams, the graduation program and the congratulations cards people had given her." Almost 70 years later, Craig and Nancy, along with her husband David, honoured their mother's memory by creating an endowed entrance bursary for Georgian nursing students, funding an annual $2,000 bursary | Dr. MaryLynn West-Moynes, past President and CEO, Georgian College; Arjun Batra (class of 2007), past Alumni Association Executive Council Chair; Debbie DeCaire, Frontline Support Advisory Group member (Simcoe County); Sybil Taylor, Frontline Support Advisory Group Co-Chair (Simcoe County); Graciela Herrera, nursing student; and, Dr. Sara Lankshear, Associate Dean – Nursing Programs at Georgian. | Verdi Wallwin in 1953 Georgian College Alumni Association Paying it forward for future grads The Georgian Alumni Association represents more than 95,000 Georgian graduates living and working around the world in more than 85 countries. As an avenue for alumni to stay involved with the college after graduation, the association is well-connected to the experience of our students, the challenges they face, and the type of support they need to succeed both in their studies and on their journeys after graduation. With more than 10,000 alumni working in the health- care sector, the Alumni Association Executive Council wanted to show gratitude for their devoted work and brave sacrifices during the COVID-19 pandemic. They also wanted to ease the growing burden on these health-care professionals by opening doors for future Georgian students to pursue these careers. In early 2022, the group made a generous $100,000 gift to the Frontline Support campaign. By supporting the Honours Bachelor of Science – Nursing degree at their alma mater, association members are investing in the generations of Georgian graduates following in their footsteps and enabling the best possible training for the future nurses tasked with caring for all of our families, friends and loved ones. for a student in financial need entering Georgian's new Honours Bachelor of Science – Nursing degree at the Barrie Campus. "We were raised with the importance of giving back to the community and finally having this four-year degree at Georgian is something our mom would have wholeheartedly supported. Though she would probably ask why we didn't donate anonymously," Craig said with a laugh. "But we feel this is a fitting legacy for her and we want to do it in her name." "We created this bursary to honour our mom and to thank her," adds Nancy. "She was an incredible mother – very loving and always supporting us. Family was everything to her and we adored her."

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