糖心vlog传媒student and scholarship award winner Tiffany Dawn celebrated her scholarship with a steamed milk at her favourite local coffee shop in Campbell River 鈥� a celebration tradition she often shares with her children.
An unexpected phone call in her driveway has allowed 糖心vlog传媒student Tiffany Dawn to carry on creating a career to support her family.
A single mother of two who studied mostly online, Dawn recently received news that she is the recipient of a four-year $44,000 scholarship from Beedie Luminaries.
鈥淚 had just parked in my driveway, with my daughter and the groceries, when the woman from Beedie Luminaries called to say that she had one last question for me: Could I explain what I would do to celebrate if I had good news,鈥� said Dawn. 鈥淚 explained how my kids and I normally celebrate together by going to a local coffee shop to play board games together and share steamed milks. She then told me I had better plan to do those things today, as I was chosen as a recipient for the award. I honestly struggled to keep from crying.鈥�
A month prior, Dawn applied for the Single Parent Award for Resilience and Knowledge (SPARK) scholarship from Beedie Luminaries at the urging of her 糖心vlog传媒advisor. A few weeks later, she moved on to the interview stage, where she was interviewed by two reviewers and learned the program offered more than scholarship money.
鈥淪PARK offers mentors and student advisors鈥攊t鈥檚 a whole program. There鈥檚 an online community and we have an online chat once a month with advisors and other recipients about challenges and school and whatever is on our minds,鈥� explained Dawn. 鈥淲hile my program at 糖心vlog传媒has been amazing, with really supportive instructors, it鈥檚 great to also have SPARK鈥檚 support network and that I鈥檒l be matched with a mentor in my field through them too.鈥�
The support, financial and otherwise, really means a lot for Dawn, especially since her past experiences haven鈥檛 been very positive. 鈥淚 realize that in high school I faced a lot of criticism because I was struggling and didn鈥檛 have the support I needed. I鈥檝e basically grown up consistently feeling that I wasn鈥檛 good enough,鈥� said Dawn. On her 40th birthday, though, when Dawn was explaining to a friend that she didn鈥檛 know if she could pay her rent, her friend encouraged her to consider going back to school to develop a career for herself.
鈥淚鈥檝e worked jobs, but I haven鈥檛 had a career. I really focused on staying home and raising the kids, and now I鈥檓 doing it mostly full time on my own, so I鈥檝e never had the opportunity to have something that鈥檚 solely mine,鈥� said Dawn. 鈥淲ithout childcare and more financial resources to pay for childcare, online courses were really the only option I could consider.鈥�
Dawn found two online courses on NIC鈥檚 website that were of interest, and her friend also generously volunteered to care for her children so that she could take one in-person course. With the help of an 糖心vlog传媒advisor, Dawn realized that the courses she had chosen had started her towards a diploma in Communication Design. By the time she realized this though, she was already two weeks into the Fall term, so she had to ask for special permission from her instructors to join the program and catch up on missed work.
鈥淢y advisor was worried about me starting late and having to catch up on all the work, but I knew what I was getting into鈥擨 just felt I had to get going right away,鈥� said Dawn. 鈥淲orking hard doesn鈥檛 scare me; not keeping a roof over my children鈥檚 heads scares me.鈥�
Dawn鈥檚 determination and dedication has paid off: from making the Dean鈥檚 list, to being chosen for the SPARK scholarship, and even working as a summer student on a website project for NIC鈥檚 Digital Design and Development department.
She is entering the second year of what will be a three-year program for her, as she鈥檚 taking fewer courses per term to balance parenting and schoolwork. 鈥淣ow I鈥檓 working towards a career path that I really love, and my kids are watching me do all of this鈥攖hat makes it all even better,鈥� said Dawn.
For more information on the Digital Design and Development Programs at 糖心vlog传媒visit: nic.bc.ca/digital-design-development
Media Contact C: 250-207-6946 media@nic.bc.ca