Dakota Stevens is the Chemainus Health Care Foundation’s mature student award winner for 2018.
Stevens, a 2016 graduate of Chemainus Secondary School, receives $1,500 toward his education in the health care field.
“It helps cover a lot,” the grateful recipient said.
In September, Stevens will begin studies at the Duncan campus of Vancouver Island University in the Health Care Assistant program that will take him 24 weeks to complete.
“Eventually I want to get into the LPN program,” he added.
“I’m going to start at the bottom and work up and see what I like as I go.”
Stevens is currently well-known as the man frequently behind the counter at Beyond The Usual in downtown Chemainus.
He’s looking forward to embarking on the challenge of a career in health care.
Stevens also has funds that carried over from high school to combine with his award for schooling expenses.
“It does help,” he conceded. “It’s awesome we have that in town. It covers a good chunk.”
Last year’s award winner Laura Kerr is continuing her studies.
“I am in my Level 4, done my classroom work at the end of September, and then I go directly into my fourth clinical and then my preceptorship which will take me to the middle of January,” she indicated. “After that I wait three months to write my government exam and I will be on my own.”
