Out of the Ashes
OUT OF THE ASHES Bursary
The Out of the Ashes (OOTA) bursary was initiated in 2007 as a prevention initiative by Leann Kopytko, a youth counsellor with Day One Society and her late husband Ron Kopytko who shared her passion for helping youth. The vision of the OOTA bursary is to provide educational support to those with a minimum of one year recovery time, who are living in Kamloops.
It began with a donation from six independent businesspeople in Kamloops. The Society’s Board of Directors matched the donation and the first bursary of $2500 was awarded in 2008. The first recipient became a paramedic, and alumnae have gone on to find rewarding careers in social work, nursing, IT, law, social justice and many other areas of interest. In 2022, donations reached OVER $100,000 and the number of recipients continues to grow.
Annual bursaries of $1500 and $2500 are available.
For those in ADVANCED EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, the Dr. Ho-Young Chung Bursary of $5000 is available to one recipient annually.
If you would like to donate to the bursary, please click here
If you are interested in learning more and applying for the bursary, CLICK HERE.
"The support of the community ... is overwhelming; to know I am supported by my community and to see the compassion of my fellow members of society is truly heartwarming. Thanks to the ongoing support, emotional and financial, I am able to work towards my goal of becoming an RN.”
(Andrea H. — Out of the Ashes Bursary recipient)