2025 Student Bursary Recipients Presentation

By Saddle Hills County - August 12, 2025

This year saw another record number of applicants, with Ashlyn Bourassa, Rylan Bourassa, Levi Boychuk, Aron Derkson, Maria Derksen, Rory DeSmet, Samuel Dietsche, Rose Earl, Rebecca Frederick, Roy McRann, Joshua Moxness, Sean Othen, Arika Pullishy, Evan Pulllishy, Chloe Richard, Teeghan Shura, Dane Singer, and Ethan Willms all receiving $2,100 in funding, a combination of which was provided by Saddle Hills County and the Northern Alberta Development Committee (NADC).

In a first for Saddle Hills County, Council also welcomed recipients of the Veterinary Education Bursary, Kara Binette, Ashlyn Bourassa, and Alyvia Crumly, all of whom received funding for their pursuit of further education in veterinary medicine.

Rory, Samuel, Rose, Rebecca, Joshua, Arika, Teeghan, and Alyvia were present at Council to receive their awards.

Congratulations to all recipients, we can't wait to see what you achieve and the skills you'll bring back to our Northern Alberta community.

Ashlyn Bourassa

Ashlyn is a prior recipient of the Saddle Hills County Student Bursary and is now entering her second year of a two-year course, in Animal Health Technology, at Northwestern Polytechnic in Fairview. She hopes to become a Veterinary Technologist in Northern Alberta upon graduation, and plans to complete her practicum at one of the local veterinary clinics in the Peace Region. Ashlyn received both a Student Bursary and Veterinary Education Bursary.

Rylan Bourassa

Rylan is entering his fourth, and final, year of the Ag Heavy Equipment Technician program, at Northernwestern Polytechnic in Fairview. He currently works full time for a large grain farm in Saddle Hills County and plans to continue this career for many years to come.

Levi Boychuk

Levi is a previous Saddle Hills County Bursary recipient and is entering his third year of study, completing a Bachelor of Commerce program through the University of Alberta. He hopes to one day become an accountant, offering his services to Peace Region residents and producers.

Aron Derksen

Aron is another prior Saddle Hills County Bursary recipient and is now entering the third year of his post-secondary education, studying Computer Engineering at the University of Alberta, in Edmonton. This field is intended to bridge the gaps between electrical hardware and software which is essential in development of control and automation systems. He would like to apply this knowledge to agricultural technology to improve farmer efficiency, with an interest specifically in precision monitoring and controls.

Maria Derksen

Maria received her first Saddle Hills County Student Bursary last year, and will be attending the University of Alberta, in Edmonton, to begin her second year of a Bachelors of Science program, majoring in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology/Psychology. She has chosen to focus her studies on genetic engineering, specializing in plant genetics, intending to use her work to advance work in the agricultural field.

Rory DeSmet

Rory was present at Council to receive his award from Saddle Hills County Reeve, Kristen Smith. Rory received his first Saddle Hills County Student Bursary last year, and will be entering his second year of post-secondary education at the University of Lethbridge, studying combined degrees in General Science and Education, majoring in Math, Physics, and Psychology. Upon completion of his degree, he hopes to pursue a career in education in a small, rural school setting. In his spare time, Rory also likes to participate in sports coaching and will be completing his second season as a coach with the Savanna School Soccer program this year.

Samuel Dietsche

Samuel was present at Council to receive his award from Saddle Hills County Reeve, Kristen Smith. He will be entering his first year of the two-year ThinkBIG Service Technician program, at Northwestern Polytechnic, in Fairview. Long-term he hopes to build a stable and rewarding career as a heavy equipment technician.

Rose Earl

Rose was present at Council to receive her award from Saddle Hills County Reeve, Kristen Smith. She will embarking on her first year of a Bachelor of Education degree with the aim of working in the education field upon graduation.

Rebecca Frederick

Rebecca was present at Council to receive her award from Saddle Hills County Reeve, Kristen Smith. She will be entering her second year of her Masters program at Florida Tech., pursuing a Master of Arts in Behaviour Analysis Practice. Upon graduation, Rebecca hopes to become a Board-Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA), with the initial goal of working with children to provide behaviour plans and guidance for families. Eventually, she would like to open her own clinic where children can learn a variety of skills to increase their independence and quality of life.

Roy McRann

Roy is a prior Saddle Hills County Bursary recipient and will be entering his second year studying for a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in Accounting, at Northwestern Polytechnic, in Grande Prairie,. Upon completion of his education, he hopes to become a chartered professional accountant and return to Saddle Hills County to give back to the community.

Joshua Moxness

Joshua is currently employed as a Seasonal Weed Inspector with Saddle Hills County and was present at Council to receive his award from Reeve Kristen Smith. He is a prior recipient of the Saddle Hills County Student Bursary and will be entering his third year of post-secondary education, studying for a Bachelor of Business Administration at Northwestern Polytechnic, in Grande Prairie.

Sean Othen

Sean will be attending Northwestern Polytechnic in Grande Prairie, to undertake his first year of a four-year course in Business Administration and Computer Science. Upon graduation, he hopes to pursue a career in analytics.

Arika Pullishy

Arika is a previous recipient of the Saddle Hills County Student Bursary and is currently employed as a Seasonal Weed Inspector at the County. She was present at Council to receive her award from Reeve Kristen Smith. Arika will be entering her third year of post-secondary education, studying for a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, with a minor in sociology (police studies), at MacEwan University, in Edmonton. Upon graduation, she hopes to join the Edmonton Police Service and complete the necessary training to be a police officer, with the eventual goal of moving back to the Peace Region.

Evan Pullishy

Evan is a previous recipient of the Saddle Hills County Student Bursary and is entering his sixth year at the University of Alberta, studying for his Masters in Surgery. He transferred to the UoA after completing the first two years of his post-secondary education at Northwestern Polytechnic in Grande Prairie. Upon completion of his degree, he plans to apply for medical school and continues to aspire to work as a healthcare professional in the Peace Region.

Chloe Richard

Chloe is a previous bursary recipient and will be attending her fourth, and final, year of post-secondary education at Vancouver Island University, to study for a BA in Criminology. She is interested in pursuing a career as a Parole Officer post-graduation, hoping to support individuals recently released from custody find stable housing, access resources, and secure meaningful employment.

Teeghan Shura

Teeghan was present at Council to receive her award from Saddle Hills County Reeve, Kristen Smith. Teeghan will be entering her first year of post-secondary education, undertaking a BsC in Cellular, Molecular, and Microbial Biology, at the University of Calgary. After completing two-years in the program, she hopes to transfer to the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program, with the goal of becoming a veterinarian specializing in large animal care.

Dane Singer

Dane is a previous recipient of the Saddle Hills County Student Bursary and will be entering his third year at Lethbridge Polytechnic, studying for a Conservation Enforcement degree. He aims to become an Alberta Fish and Wildlife Officer upon completion of his education.

Ethan Willms

Ethan will be entering his first year of a Driver Training diploma at Northwestern Polytechnic, in Grande Prairie, to complete his third and fourth class power engineering tickets. He hopes that this, combined with his Class 1 Driver's Licence, will allow him to continue to be employed throughout Northern Alberta well into the future.

Veterinary Education Bursaries

For the first time since its inception, Saddle Hills County has awarded three Veterinary Education Bursaries, to aspiring veterinary technologists, Kara Binette, Ashlyn Bourassa, and Alyvia Crumly.

Kara Binette

Kara is enrolled in the Veterinary Technologist program at Northwestern Polytechnic, in Fairview. She sees veterinary medicine as important as not only does it protect the animals we love, but also the livestock we depend on and the communities built around them.

Alyvia Crumly

Alyvia was present at Council to receive her award from Reeve Kristen Smith. Alyvia is enrolled in the Veterinary Technologist program at Northwestern Polytechnic, in Fairview. She sees veterinary medicine as one of the most rewarding careers as it is one of the meaningful ways to give back to the community.

Student Eligibility

Candidates must meet the following requirements:

Be a resident of Saddle Hills County for a minimum of one year and have minimum one year's residency in Alberta immediately prior to the application date
Be enrolled full time in a post-secondary program recognized by Alberta Advanced Education
Be committed to living and working in northern Alberta
Have reasonably good prospects for employment in northern Alberta after graduation

Bursary Application Process

Candidates must:

Write a paragraph of at least 500 words detailing their chosen field of study
Supply two (2) letters of reference
Complete the bursary application

For more information on Saddle Hills County bursaries and how to apply, head to the Grants and Bursaries page.