By: Patrick Millar
For construction engineering technician student Kevin Dunk, being chosen as the recipient of a notable scholarship is a result of his hard work and his father and sister’s guidance.
The Erb Group of Companies “Service to Community” scholarship was awarded to the Warkworth, Ont. resident by the Ontario Truckers Association (OTA) Education Foundation on Oct. 22. He won the scholarship after submitting his application for it with an essay about his father’s experiences in trucking and what the scholarship would mean to him.
Dunk found out about the scholarship from his sister, who applied for it the year before.
The scholarship is given to a first-year post-secondary student who shows dedication to his or her community through involvement with volunteer work. Dunk, having been a member of Scouts Canada for 10 years and a Scout leader for a year – as well as volunteering for his high school, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, and various other charities and events throughout his hometown – shows the dedication to helping his community that the scholarship is meant to honour.
“A big part of the award was showing support for your community,” said Dunk. “[My experience] was definitely a huge factor in me winning it.”
Dunk says it is an honour to get the $1,000 scholarship, and that the money will be a great help in paying off his tuition for the year.
“It knocked my winter tuition down to about $500 and saves me a lot of money, so that’s pretty awesome,” said Dunk. “Hopefully it will help keep my tuition down.”
John Barteaux, one of Dunk’s teachers at the college and a professor of construction and civil programs, says that although having close to 300 students makes it difficult to remember what all of them are like, what he remembers about Dunk is his work ethic.
“He’s here on time, he hands his work in, and he seems to be doing well,” said Barteaux. “Altogether, he’s a pretty good student.”
The “Service to Community” Scholarship award is one of many given out by the OTA, with seven of them given out on the day Kevin found out he won his award.
“I applied for three of the awards, but I’m pretty surprised that I won one,” said Dunk. “It wasn’t too difficult to apply for them at all, I’m just happy I got that one.”