Recently, the Winkler Community Foundation impacted the lives of 56 students who received scholarships for post-secondary education. The total amount dispersed this year was $125,000, but it was about more than the funds. Natalie Neudorf, the scholarships & marketing coordinator for the Winkler Community Foundation, said the support also imparts to the community’s younger members that there is a city rallying behind them as they step into their futures. It’s with this philosophy that the organization also provides its peer-to-peer program to first-year students. An additional layer of support Neudorf said the Winkler Community Foundation offers the mentorship program to help new post-secondary students from the area navigate some of the challenges and transitions that they face. “It's great to give scholarships, ... but the reality is that when you're a young person from Winkler, you most likely have to move to a new city for school to attend university, and this comes with living on your own for the first time, and having to find a house or apartment to rent,” said Neudorf. “You're starting at university. You're getting used to studying — there are a lot of challenges and obstacles, and so we wanted to support our first-year university students better.” Matching up scholarship recipients Neudorf said the program matches first-year students with another scholarship recipient who is a returning university student. “[It’s] kind of like a mentor partnership giving the first-year student a chance to ask questions, get advice, and just get support and encouragement from a returning university student,” she said. “The program is designed to offer support and accountability, and someone to answer questions to help first-year students be successful and get their feet on the ground when they're starting university, especially in a new place and at a new school.” Taking the initiative According to Neudorf, the returning students have embraced the program, which is “encouraging” for the Winkler Community Foundation to see. “It’s been neat to see some of the returning university students really take the initiative to mentor and connect with the first-year students,” she said. “Some of those second- and third-year university students have just really taken it upon themselves to reach out to new university students and make sure that they're doing okay and that they know where they're going on the first day of classes.” Related stories: Winkler Community Foundation awards over $125,000 in scholarships Falk Fehr Foundation presents $60,000 to local charities Neudorf said that the first-year students report that the program not only helps them feel supported in their post-secondary education but also assists with networking. Finding the right match The Winkler Community Foundation is mindful of how it matches scholarship recipients. Neudorf said that, if possible, students from the same school and even the same faculty are paired. The foundation provides gift cards to coffee shops at the beginning of September, which helps students get acquainted. From there, it encourages pairs to touch base weekly for the fall semester and monthly during the winter semester, continuing until the year concludes in April. “Some peer matches hit it off really well, and they form a really good bond and relationship, and they stay in touch every week all throughout the first year of school,” said Neudorf. Ultimately, the peer support program is another avenue that empowers young people from Winkler to achieve success. “The foundation just really wants to see our scholarship recipient be successful and be able to achieve their goals in university, and so it's important for us to offer this mentorship program so that if they feel like they need that support, they have a place where they can reach out and receive the support that they need," said Neudorf. With files from Connie Bailey