In December of 1956, Isabella Elsie Wightman crossed the Atlantic Ocean with her three young children to start a new life in Canada.
A nurse who trained in England in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War, Isabella was disappointed to discover that her qualifications were not recognized in Canada. To practice as a registered nurse (RN), she would have to return to school.
“It just wasn’t realistic for her go back to school,” says her son, Ian Wightman. “She had three small kids and couldn’t afford the time or cost.”
Although Isabella ultimately found a nursing role at a local hospital, she was never able to realize her dream of working as an RN in Canada.
When she passed away in 2009, Ian – who worked as a receiver in Centennial’s bookstore system until his retirement in 2015 – knew he had to find a meaningful way to pay tribute to her life and memory. He quickly realized that creating an endowed scholarship for students of the College’s nursing program would be the perfect tribute.
“I had to find something that would be more than just a plaque with her name on it,” he says. “I thought a scholarship could serve as a living memorial with lasting impact.”
The endowed Isabella Elsie Wightman Scholarship was originally established to help young newcomers to Canada realize their dreams of becoming a nurse. Today, the scholarship has evolved to support any registered practical nursing student experiencing financial obstacles who demonstrates academic excellence.
“One of the greatest and most unexpected rewards of creating the scholarship has been the opportunity to meet the recipients and hear their stories,” says Ian. “What started off as a memorial has now become a really inspiring experience for our family.”
Ian is passionate about the long-term impact of scholarship endowments like his own. Endowments allow funds donated to the scholarship to be invested, with the investment income earned each year creating the scholarship award.
“An endowed scholarship is a great way to make society a little better over a long period of time,” says Ian. “It creates ongoing impact year after year, and if it’s managed properly then the impact can really be intergenerational.”
At the time that Ian established the Isabella Elsie Wightman Scholarship, the Ontario government had a special matching program to encourage community members to create endowed scholarship funds. But he says that even without a matching program, establishing an endowed scholarship is easier than it may seem.
Like many donors interested in creating an endowment, Ian and a number of his family members made contributions to build up the initial amount required for the endowment, and he makes smaller monthly contributions to the fund.
“Even without the additional monthly contributions I make, because it’s invested there’s always enough money each year to create the scholarship,” he says.
Year after year since the creation of the Isabella Elsie Wightman Scholarship, the lost dreams of a young nurse starting a new life in Canada have been realized through the success of its recipients. And they’ll continue to be realized for years to come – the ultimate living memorial.
To learn more about how you can make a gift and support Centennial students, please contact giving@centennialcollege.ca.