Anna Klick has her sights set on success in her education and future career. The Grant MacEwan University student just added another major credit to her resumé during a special ceremony at Royal Canadian Legion Branch 271 at the end of last month.
She was handed the prestigious Airborne Forces Scholarship Award by Capt. (retired) Bill Dickson, a member of the Airborne Social Club and Canadian Airborne Forces Association (CAFA). Getting the gift put a huge smile on her face, and for good reason.
“All my tuition this year is completely paid for. It’s a huge relief,” the young Klick said.
CAFA and the Airborne Regiment Association of Canada (ARAC) jointly offer the award to the one applicant who is deemed to be the most deserving as based on outstanding academic performance in high school and during the first year of her or his full-time post-secondary studies in a challenging program. The applicant’s personal development and long-standing commitment to community building are also important factors.
Klick, who has lived in St. Albert her entire life, graduating from St. Gabriel High School in 2017, is now entering her second year of studies in MacEwan’s Bachelor of Science program with a double major in Mathematics and Biology. She is in the top 15 per cent of her class with a 3.84 grade point average, she said.
On top of all of that, she has made volunteering a huge part of her service to community, helping at the St. Albert Food Bank, removing snow for disabled spouses of veterans, and others. “A little bit of everything,” she said.
She has offered her time for years with a local therapeutic riding association, working with people who are physically or mentally disabled to help them experience the joys of riding.
The successful scholarship applicant must also be a member of CAFA or ARAC, or a close relative. Klick is the daughter of ARAC member and retired master sniper Sgt. Ben Klick who served in 2 Airborne Commando, Canadian Airborne Regiment.
The scholarship was worth $2,000 towards her tuition. Thanks to this and other awards that she has already received, her 2018-19 tuition is all wrapped up with a bow on it.
She plans on riding the momentum as far as she can, with her sights set high on her post-secondary education. Once she completes her bachelor’s degree, she explained, she plans on getting her master’s and eventually a PhD in mathematics.
