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Thanks to the support of Shannex, University of New Brunswick nursing students showing promise in the area of gerontological nursing will be eligible for three Shannex New Brunswick Scholarships beginning in September.

The Shannex New Brunswick Scholarships were announced today at a news conference at Parkland Saint John hosted by Jason Shannon, president and chief operating officer of Shannex, Eddy Campbell, president of the University of New Brunswick, and David Ganong, co-chair of UNB’s It Begins Here campaign.

The scholarships, each valued at $3,750 a year, will be awarded to nursing students at each of UNB’s three New Brunswick sites – Fredericton, Saint John and Moncton. Selection will be based on academic achievement and recipients will demonstrate excellence in the practice of gerontological nursing.

“Many of Shannex’s skilled nurses graduated from UNB,” says Mr. Shannon. “They are now part of our team of great people who provide exceptional care and service to residents every day in leadership roles throughout our organization. Our hope is that these scholarships will give talented student nurses the support they need to join our region’s next generation of skilled health care professionals, and we sincerely hope they consider joining the Shannex team in the future.”

Cathy O’Brien-Larivee, chair of the department of nursing and health sciences at UNB’s Saint John campus, says that these scholarships will provide significant assistance to hard-working students who are actively pursuing an interest in the care of the elderly in our region.

“The senior population is increasing in our province, as it is all over Canada, and we need to prepare and encourage more students to pursue areas of practice where they can work with the aging population once they graduate,” says Ms. O’Brien-Larivee. “The Shannex New Brunswick Scholarships will reward ambitious students who have expressed an interest in pursuing elder care as a career.”

These new scholarships will help reduce the cost of tuition for nursing students, relieving financial uncertainty and allowing them to focus on their studies. They will also provide affirmation that each recipient’s hard work and dedication to the profession of nursing is valued.

Student support is a significant part of UNB’s $110-million fundraising campaign, It Begins Here. Fully one-half of the campaign goal – $55 million – is dedicated to student financial support, funding scholarships, bursaries and programs to expand accessibility.

“We are grateful for donors like Shannex that have stepped forward to support this campaign,” says Dr. Campbell. “Our nursing students graduate into one of the most demanding professions in our health-care system and partners like Shannex are giving them motivation to succeed. Together, we can prepare them to be leading health-care professionals within our community.”

About Shannex Incorporated

Shannex Incorporated has been in business since 1988 and is a leader in seniors’ accommodation, service and care – providing home care, retirement living, assisted living, memory care and nursing-home care in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Ontario.

Media contacts

• David Stonehouse: Senior Manager, Media Relations, University of New Brunswick, (506) 458-7925, david.stonehouse@unb.ca
• Sophie Cormier: Senior Communications Advisor, Shannex Inc., (506) 387-3161, scormier@shannex.com

Photo credit: Cameron Fitch / Photo UNB