By Jess Ryan

Posted 8 minutes ago

Jess Ryan

Special to the Canadian

Third year Augustana student David Shantz, a member of the Vikings men’s basketball team, has been named the first recipient of the Val Wolski Memorial Award.

February 13 marked the one year anniversary of Wolski’s untimely death, the Camrose resident and Canadian Mental Health Association worker.

Wolski studied psychology at then Camrose Lutheran College, graduating in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and many firm friends, including Pam Chamberlain and Denise Hawkins. Stunned by her death last year, a few of the friends decided to establish a scholarship in Wolski’s name as a tribute to her passion for using her education to make a difference in the lives of those who needed help most.

“We all found that a really positive part of the grieving experience was to be able to put our energy into something that would make a difference for students and create a legacy for Val,” said Chamberlain, “Because she dedicated her life to helping other people it seemed like a natural fit for us that a scholarship would help students.”

Referencing the fact that scholarships had aided Wolski’s own education, Hawkins added, “We wanted to help someone that was like Val.”

By August 2011, a goal of $25,000 generating $1,000 a year in interest to fund the scholarship itself was reached, thanks to the generosity and compassion of individuals, many whom had not even known Wolski, as well as local businesses and the Canadian Mental Health Association itself.

“We were just really touched and overwhelmed that people were so generous and so moved by her story,” said Chamberlain.

The scholarship’s criteria are that the recipient be a psychology major and have good academic standing. David Shantz is pursuing psychology as a precursor to becoming an elementary school teacher.

“I’ve always wanted to be a teacher,” he said, adding that his present area of study should be an asset to his future profession. “There’s a lot of courses that look into how you learn and how different conditions and circumstances can cause different reactions and actions in people.”

Men’s basketball coach Dave Drabiuk characterizes Shantz as “hardworking and very committed to excellence,” and though he joked that, as a psychology major, “he does think about his performance a lot,” he hoped Shantz would venture to study sport psychology to “elevate his performance even more.”

Interestingly, Shantz, like Wolski, attended high school in Wetaskwin.

“We thought it was really fitting,” said Chamberlain. “It was one of those sort of meaningful coincidences.”

It is not too late to contribute to the scholarship fund, either to add to the endowment so that the amount offered in future years increases or to augment the scholarship amount for a single year. Chamberlain maintains valeriewolski.net as a source of information about the fund and the ongoing inquiry into the working conditions leading to Wolski’s demise.

Hawkins, who at one time also worked for the Canadian Mental Health Association, stressed that unless steps are taken to protect workers like Wolski, “another family, set of friends goes through the exact same thing Val’s family has gone through this year.”

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