Stephanie Weatherbee’s academic journey at Georgian College is off to an amazing start, as it was announced this past weekend at Canadian Forces Day and Air Show that she is the recipient of the inaugural Operation Hero scholarship.

“It’s really a shock, and I am so incredibly honoured that I was chosen,” she said.

The 24-year-old, who will begin her Bachelor of Science in Nursing this fall at the Barrie Campus, was thrilled to accept the $4,000 scholarship which will help pay for her studies.

She is the first of generations of individuals who have family members in the military who will receive a helping hand financially from this endowment, which honours our troops and the sacrifices made by their family members. It specifically helps military family members pay for either part-time or full-time post-secondary education at Georgian College.

Weatherbee, who lives on the Base, has a parent and a spouse in the military. She said having two important people in her life serve the country does make for a large amount of stress “as there are times these people are deployed to countries where you begin to wonder whether or not they will come home.”

Her experience of being a part of a military family has influenced her to choose a career that will enable her to help people.

Operation Hero was initiated by Jamie Massie, an honorary colonel and local business leader, and a team of dedicated community volunteers. To date, an incredible $300,000 has been raised and they plan to continue to dedicate time to raising funds for this scholarship.

“It’s to show the Base and the members of the Canadian military that our community supports them and wants to recognize them,” said Massie. “Eventually, we want to be able to award four scholarships a year between $6,000 and $8,000.”

For more information about Operation Hero, visit www.operationhero.ca.