By Linda Scales
“Your generosity will allow me to pursue my dreams and has opened up a world of possibilities. For that, I cannot thank you enough.”— Goretti Muthahi, fourth-year nursing student
Altruism is very much alive at uOttawa. Because of the more than 1,350 faculty, staff and retirees who supported the Employee Giving program in 2017, student Goretti Muthahi’s dream of becoming a public health nurse is taking shape. “Public health is my passion,” she says.
Now in her final year of studies, Muthahi recently discussed the reasons she chose to pursue nursing as a career. She enjoys helping people and she uses her nursing skills to care for her youngest child, with special needs. She is also joining a familiar profession — multiple family members, including her mother, are nurses. “I come from a very long line of nurses,” she says.
Muthahi, 43, came to Canada in 1998 from Uganda, and lives in Ottawa with her two sons, ages 6 and 20. Nursing will be Muthahi’s second degree. She started down a different academic path many years ago.
Controlling financial stress
“I cannot put into words how much the donors have helped my life,” says Muthahi about the five scholarships she has received while studying at the School of Nursing. They include the Nurse Betty Riddell Foundation Scholarship and the Yolande Maranger Sylvain Scholarship, which are awarded to nursing students, and the Bell/Senators Educational Bursary and Holly M. Donohoe Scholarship, which are also available to students of other faculties. All are for students who demonstrate financial need.
Muthahi also received the Desjardins Scholarship, for at least 50 hours of leadership and community involvement in the previous year. Muthahi has volunteered with pre-natal and lactation programs, and with her local community centre since 2012. “I used to go there with my youngest son,” she says. “I got a lot of support, so when I was able to give some time I’d find a way to give back.”
“The scholarships were enormously helpful,” says Muthahi, whose commitment to fulltime studies and parenting prevented her from working. “They helped me cover my tuition, school books, transportation and other responsibilities. They helped me control my financial stress.”
Effectiveness of scholarships
School of Nutrition Sciences Professor France Rioux has been donating to the Employee Giving program for several years and sees firsthand the turmoil of financial stress on her students. “As a prof, I observe my students and am happy that the scholarships can help.” She understands. As a scholarship recipient herself while studying for her master’s and PhD, Rioux remembers the relief of having some extra money for expenses and more time to focus on her schoolwork.
The Employee Giving program plays an integral role in uOttawa’s Defy the Conventional Campaign. Every day, uOttawa faculty, staff and retirees give their time and energy to helping students reach their academic goals. Employees can donate by logging into VirtuO.