Each year, one recipient is chosen from all applicants for the Denis Racine Bursary. This year, Alli Boyd, has been awarded the $1,000 bursary towards her education. She tells us what this means to her:
Being the recipient of the Denis Racine Bursary fills me with pride and gratitude and I want to extend my thank you to the family of Denis Racine. I am inspired by Mr. Racine’s history of service and his professional legacy and how he fulfilled the Canadian Public Relations Society's values of belonging, learning, service, and professionalism. I try to impart these values into my professional life and the volunteering that I do with CPRS-VI.
Last fall, I left my career in health care and was beginning the Bachelor of Arts in Professional Communication program at Royal Roads University. Changing careers is often daunting, but particularly so during a global pandemic so I decided to join CPRS-VI to help me forge connections in my new field. Shortly after joining, I saw that CPRS-VI needed a social media volunteer so I jumped at the chance to deepen my connection to CPRS-VI and improve my social media skills along the way.
Becoming a volunteer with CPRS-VI allowed me to deepen my connection to the Society as well as enrich my learning experience. I was able to use data from my work at CPRS-VI for assignments and completed my practicum for Royal Roads University at CPRS-VI which was an incredible experience. I particularly appreciate the mentorship provided by chapter President, Tatiana Chabeaux-Smith who met with me regularly to ensure that I had the resources and information I needed to be successful. We collaborated on presentations for students at Royal Roads University and came up with ideas for membership month content that was both engaging and fun to create.
This bursary is much appreciated will assist me with achieving my educational goals. After I complete my bachelor’s degree, I will be entering the Master of Arts in Professional Communication program this fall. I plan to enter my career to serve and empower creativity in others. Success to me is measured by not only my accomplishments but how I can impact the world around me and I plan to make a big impact!
Thank you,
Alli