Generations came together for a special surprise during the Foothills Composite High School’s awards and scholarship night Oct. 5.
Long-time Okotoks teacher Mary Gillard presented an academic scholarship created in her name 35 years ago to her great-granddaughter Meagan Quigley.
The award was a surprise to Meagan and Gillard.
Quigley said it was a special evening, not just to be named the winner of the Mary Gillard Scholarship, but to receive it from her great-grandmother.
“It means so much to me, I can’t believe it,” said Quigley. “Not only is it an honour to win the scholarship, but to have it be the Mary Gillard Scholarship means so much.”
Quigley was one of the big winners of the evening, taking home four top academic scholarships and the Governor General’s Award.
There’s a good chance that anyone who went to school in Okotoks may have had Gillard as a teacher.
She was a sought-after substitute teacher who retired in 2008 after 65 years at the head of the class. More than 40 years were spent in Okotoks.
Quigley had Gillard as a substitute teacher when she was in Grade 1.
“She’s been a role model my entire life,” she said.
Gillard has high expectations for her great-granddaughter.
“She’s going to be a queen on the hill,” she said.
Meagan is studying science at McGill University in Montreal.
Her goal is to attend medical school.
She arrived back in Okotoks for the Thanksgiving holiday a few days early to be at the ceremony, in case she won something.
It was her family’s intention that she would be there for the surprise.
Jean Quigley, Meagan’s grandmother and Mary’s daughter, said their family wanted to make certain that Meagan would be able to attend the ceremony.
“We made sure that everyone was here, just because it was so special,” she said.
One of Gillard’s former students was by her side as she handed out the scholarship.
Kathy Coutts was part of the graduating class of 1982 from the Okotoks High School, which created the scholarship in honour of Gillard.
“There were about 56 students in that class and as a legacy project we wanted to establish a scholarship after Mrs. Gillard, who impacted all the students’ lives,” she said.
Coutts was given the honour of announcing the creation of the scholarship during her graduation ceremony. She said it was an honour to stand with Gillard on the 35th anniversary.
She said Gillard was a teacher and a friend.
“She inspired learning, she really respected students and therefore we respected her,” Coutts said.
Gillard has impacted the lives of generations of Okotoks students, said Coutts, inspiring learning and taking an interest in their lives as they grow into adulthood.
She said it’s remarkable that the scholarship continues to be awarded 35 years after she and her classmates first created it.
The evening’s winners include:
Academics – Mary Gillard Scholarship, Meagan Quigley; Town of Okotoks Annual Academic Award, Adam Little and Brooke Williams; Okotoks Elks Scholarship, Adam Little and Shelby Herle; Okotoks and District Seniors Club, Brooke Williams; Lions Peter McGowan Memorial Scholarship, Amy Hansen; Okotoks Eye Care health science scholarship, Meagan Quigley; FCHA Excellence Award, Keaton Goosen; Dr. Robert Haslam Bursary, Meagan Quigley; Valedictorian Award: AHSFA, Amy Hansen and FCHS, Meagan Quigley
Fine Arts – Windmill Theatre Players award, Chloe Payton; Amy Sands Memorial Scholarship, Chloe Payton; AHSFA Society Awards, MacKenzie Bowes, Amy Hansen, Nicole Kraus and Chloe Payton; AHSFA Society Future Artistic Scholarship, MacKenzie Bowes
Journalism – Western Wheel Visual Communications Scholarship, Courtney Van Aalst; Friesen’s Yearbook Scholarship, Will Blackie, Ophelie Champagne-Laplante, Ariel Oseen, Sydney Savage, Courtney Van Aalst and Cailin Williams
Citizenship – Premiers Citizenship Award: AHSFA, Brittany MacDonald and FCHS, Samantha Medley; Student Council Citizenship and Extra Curricular Scholarship, Samantha Medley; Kinsmen Club of Okotoks Grade 12 Citizenship Award, Hannah Helton; Zutz Family Scholarship, Brittany MacDonald
Athletics/Citizenship/Academic – Okotoks Royal Canadian Legion Award, AJ Sheldrake; English Elm Cross Country Running Award, Pedro Pardo and Rosie Bouchard; Matt Bridle Memorial Scholarship, Zachary Taylor; DeWinton and District Historical Society, Nicole Kraus; Wes Holling Memorial Award, Samantha Medley; Western Communities Foundation Exceptional Achievement Citation, Hannah Helton; Rotary Career Opportunity Fund Award, Amber Leask
CTS/Fine Arts – Wilkie Boys CTS/Fine Arts Award, Chloe Payton; Big Rock Singer Lloyd Burns Memorial Bursary, Will Blackie
CTS Award – Skills Canada Scholarship, Ophelie Champagne-Laplante; Robert Bulmer Family Award, Spencer Darrah
Construction Technology – Merit Contractors Association Construction Technologies Award, Riley Milne; Harold Biswanger Memorial Award: Peter Baker, Garrett Fluery, Jayden Halarwich, Carter Harris, Kyle Hartle, Mac Schaalje, Zachary Taylor
Automotives – NAPA Automotive Technology Award, Tyler Cooke; Okotoks Chevrolet Buick GMC Award, Spencer Darrah; Fountain Tire Automotives Service Technician Annual Award, Taylor Middleton; George Edgar Memorial Automotives Scholarship, Kevin Krueger;
Business Education – Sobey’s Scholarship, Emily Thompson-Cory; Foothills Chartered Accountants Centennial Scholarship, Amy Hansen; Okotoks Chamber of Commerce Award, Kristiyan Bechev
Cosmetology studies – Cactus Club Award, Rita Bennett; Professional cooking – Culinary arts Award, Shannon Charlton
Medical science – Wild Rose Jewellery Trophy and Scholarship, Samantha Medley; Communication Technology – Lifetouch Photography Award, Cailin Williams
Fabrication – Leduc Developments Ltd. Welding Annual Award, Nick Walther; Agriculture – Rainer Hofmann Memorial Scholarship, Nicole Kraus
National Award – Governor General’s Award, AHSFA, Amy Hansen and FCHS, Meagan Quigley.
