Kitimat nurse-in-training wins $10,000 TC Energy scholarship
Meet Caragh, one of two Canadian students who were awarded this year’s TC Energy scholarship.
The mother of two says she was in disbelief when she received the call that she was chosen out of more than 2,500 applicants.
“I never win anything, not even radio contests. After I got the call from TC Energy’s scholarship program, I had a good cry,” said Caragh, who decided to pursue a nursing degree after more than 20 years working as a registered massage therapist. “What made it even more special was that I had family in town visiting that weekend. It was great to be able to celebrate with them,” said Caragh when asked her initial reaction to being awarded the scholarship.
Born and raised in Ontario, Caragh made her way to Calgary, where she raised her two sons before moving to Kitimat six years ago. Caragh and her family fell in love with the active, outdoor lifestyle and warm community that welcomed them to northern B.C.
With her sons in university, Caragh decided now would be a great time to change her career path. She saw a post on Facebook for TC Energy’s scholarship program and thought, “What do I have to lose?”
When we asked Caragh what compelled her to go back to school to become a nurse, her answer was simple: “there’s just not enough nurses here.”
With Coastal GasLink now under construction, Caragh sees growth in her community. She believes that with this growth comes a need for increased health care services to meet the complex needs of individuals in regional, rural and remote communities of northern B.C. From this perspective, she is particularly interested in practice-driven, patient-centered coursework at UNBC that focuses on supporting the health needs of local First Nation communities.
“I have a great opportunity to learn a lot about First Nations culture and practices in hopes that I will become outpost nurses for First Nations communities,” she said. “That’s my ultimate goal.”
Caragh wants to be an advocate for her patients and says it’s a special feeling to know that someone is becoming better from what she’s done to help.
TC Energy and Coastal GasLink are committed to investing in the long-term growth, sustainability and wellness of communities in northern B.C. Education and health care are two essential components of building strong, vibrant communities.
More information
Since its inception in 2017, the TC Energy Scholarship program has provided over $4 million to students across our North American footprint. The program’s continuous growth has meant that TC Energy can help support more than 1,000 students who attend post-secondary school each year.
New this year, a special scholarship valued at $10,000 was awarded to two students from Canada who received the highest application scores in the Community Leaders and Trades scholarship categories.
To learn more about Coastal GasLink’s commitment to investing in long-term education, training and employment opportunities in the communities where it operates, visit CoastalGasLink.com.