Manitoba Child Care Scholarship awarded to Assiniboine ECE student

Assiniboine Early Childhood Education (ECE) student, Rayna Schwalm, has been awarded the Manitoba Child Care Association (MCCA) Scholarship. The MCCA award, established in 2019, is awarded each year to one second year ECE student who demonstrates professionalism and leadership.

“In Rayna’s first year, she was instrumental in helping students who were new to Canada become familiar with the routines and expectations of the college system,” said ECE instructor, Pam Nightingale, who nominated her for the award.

“This strong show of character continued into her second year. When COVID-19 forced classes to pivot to remote or blended learning, Rayna was willing to share with classmates what worked for her in this learning environment.”

Schwalm acknowledges the pertinent skills she learned and credits much of her development in these areas to the instructors she worked with throughout the program.

“My professionalism grew throughout the program and I felt confident enough with the skills I learned that I was able to help my classmates,” she said.

This professionalism and drive translated well to her coursework—Schwalm maintained a high academic performance throughout the program.

“Class discussions, group work and presentations provided opportunities for Rayna to demonstrate her leadership qualities. She is very organized, has good communication skills and collaborates well with others,” said Nightingale. “Her leadership abilities have also been demonstrated on the volleyball court as she was involved in Cougars Athletics during her time at Assiniboine.”

Throughout her time in the ECE program, Schwalm maintained employment with a local early learning centre, which gave her the opportunity to practice and demonstrate the skills she was learning at the college.

“As my leadership and professionalism grew as the program progressed, my communications skills developed with them. This was an asset to me as I completed my practicums in Early Childhood settings and was able to communicate confidently with fellow staff at the centres, children of all ages and their parents,” said Schwalm.

She has recently completed her final practicum and will continue employment at her practicum site in Brandon, Manitoba.