McInnis Family Creates Two New Entrance Scholarships
The first recipients of two new entrance scholarships to the University of Prince Edward Island have been announced. The Mary C. McInnis Entrance Scholarship in Nursing has been awarded to Sara McAlduff from Bluefield High School and the Wilbert C. McInnis Scholarship in Business is going to David Collins of Montague High School. Both scholarships, valued at $1500 each, were established by Dan and David McInnis of Charlottetown in honour of their parents.
The Mary C. McInnis Entrance Scholarship in Nursing recognizes their mother's commitment to family and education. Mary McInnis is a 1951 graduate of the Charlottetown School of Nursing. The Wilbert C. McInnis Scholarship in Business honours their father's work in bettering life for Islanders. Wilbert McInnis graduated from St. Dunstan's University in 1951 and received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from UPEI in 1995. The McInnis family is well known in PEI for its involvement in the family-operated insurance brokerage firm, Peake and McInnis.
The annual gifts for both scholarships are recognized as contributions to the UPEI Building a Legacy Campaign. "We are very grateful to Dan and David McInnis for supporting our incoming students through these new entrance scholarships," says Tracey Comeau, UPEI Stewardship Officer. "Increasing our scholarship funding helps the University to attract and retain the brightest and most deserving students from PEI and other provinces."
Comeau adds that some scholarships, such as those created by the McInnis family, are designated by their donors for specific programs or areas of study. Another option is general scholarship funding which allows a scholarship fund to be named in honour of a person, family, or organization while allowing the University to select the best candidates to receive the scholarships each year.
"Creating a named scholarship is easier and more affordable than people may think," she explains. "UPEI has extensive experience in identifying the very best students, determining the area of need each year, and offering students scholarships from the fund."
