By Charles Lefebvre

SAIT students receive Prairie Equity Scholarships

Dec 12, 2018 | 11:02 AM

CALGARY, AB — Two students from SAIT Polytechnic were recently awarded two Jim Pattison Broadcast Group Prairie Equity Scholarships.

Alyssa Stoyanowski and Amanda Vocke have each received $2,000 in financial assistance to help them pursue their education and career goals.

Stoyanowski, a first-year student at SAIT, was diagnosed with Severe Auditory Processing Disorder, a hearing problem that interferes with the way the brain recognizes and interprets sounds. The diagnosis has helped Stoyanowski understand her earlier struggles in school. She has maintained good grades, active in student government, helped with charitable causes in her community and was a competitive swimmer, coach and lifeguard, according to a release about her award.

“All of these experiences have, and will continue to benefit me in the future at SAIT, and in any career I choose,” Stoyanowski states in the release.

Vocke, a second year Broadcast News student at SAIT, has also completed classes for a Communications degree from the University of Calgary. Vocke is of German/Filipino ancestry, and her mother’s family was one of the first Filipino families in Saskatchewan. Vocke feels that her mixed-race background gives her some advantages. “As someone who is both white and Asian, I feel like I have the ability to bridge the gap between people of different races,” she states in a news release. “Being a minority isn’t something that needs to hold people back, it’s a special part of who they are.”

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Vocke says her goal is to be a reporter.

“I believe that my background and upbringing gives me a unique perspective that will positively represent Canadians, including minorities,” she said.

The Prairie Equity Scholarship was created by the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group in 2009 to address the shortage of broadcasters from four under-represented groups: Aboriginal people, women, members of visible minorities and persons with disabilities.

The group believes supporting the group development of the groups in broadcasting on the prairies will allow the broadcast industry “to access an untapped pool of potentially talented employees, encourage diverse viewpoints and backgrounds, enhance relationships with local communities, and broaden the advertiser and audience base,” according to a news release.

The following stations help support  the Prairie Equity Scholarships.

-101.5 KOOL FM, Calgary

-Wild 95.3 FM, Calgary

-Big West Country 92.9 FM, Drayton Valley

-102.3 NOW! radio, Edmonton

-Up! 99.3 FM, Edmonton

-Big Country 93.1 FM, Grande Prairie

-Q99 FM, Grande Prairie

-Country 95.5 FM, Lethbridge

-B-93.3 FM, Lethbridge

-102.3 FM CJNS FM, Meadow Lake

-CHAT 94.5 FM, Medicine Hat

-CHAT Television, Medicine Hat

-MY96 FM, Medicine Hat

-Q98 FM, North Battleford

-Saskatchewan Country CJNB, North Battleford

-93.3 The Rock FM, North Battleford

-XFM, Prince Albert

-Saskatchewan Country CKBI, Prince Albert

-Power 99 FM, Prince Albert

-BIG 105.5 FM, Red Deer

-106.7 The Drive FM, Red Deer

-B94 FM, Rocky Mountain House

-QX 104, Winnipeg

-94-3 The Drive, Winnipeg