The two most recent school years have been a challenge for students, teachers and parents alike. Just like the hockey season, there have been pauses and changes that have proven to be adjustments for everyone. That’s why this year’s group of bursary winners will be deserving of their recognition.

The OMHA Bursary Program presented by Dairy Farmers of Ontario rewards student athletes who are dedicated to community service, academics and athletics as they graduate high school and prepare to enter post-secondary education.

Now in its third season, we reached out to some of the previous recipients to see how the bursary impacted them and how their studies are going.

Candidates must complete the application form below and submit it to the OMHA by 8:00 pm on February 27, 2022. Each application will be reviewed by a panel and only the winning recipients will be contacted by the OMHA. We wish the best of luck to all applicants.

SUBMIT YOUR BURSARY APPLICATION HERE

“The bursary has allowed me to prioritize my future. It’s given me a substantial amount of financial stability which I’m hoping will allow me to pursue further education because I’ll be able to put money aside for a grad degree or PHD,” said Henry Stephenson, in his first year at McGill University. “The OMHA Bursary has made it possible for me to stay focused on my undergrad and it’s alleviated the financial pressure.”

The differences between Grade 12 and university education hit Dylan Pergentile quickly. After graduating with the highest ever average in his high school’s 26-year history, he is now studying Biomedical Engineering at McMaster University.

“The workload and the speed. My Grade 12 year, because of COVID, I was doing one class at a time and I went into a program where I had six classes that are all a lot faster pace,” said Pergentile. “You’re learning content daily that you have to keep up with or else you’re going to fall behind.”

It’s a sentiment echoed by Adam Huras, who received the bursary during the program’s first year.

“University is definitely a full-time job and takes a lot of time and dedication,” said Huras, now in his second year at the University of Waterloo studying Mechatronics. “It could be easy to say ‘I’ve had enough, I don’t want to do this, I’m going to take a week off’ but you can’t really do that or you’re going to fall behind. You’ve got to work hard for the entire term but once it’s over you get a nice break. You’ve earned it.”

Growing up playing minor hockey has given these students the life skills that have helped them in the classroom.

“Learning how to communicate with your teammates is crucial in university because there’s a lot of independent work. I was someone in high school who did my work on my own and didn’t really ask questions. As it gets faster and harder, using skills from communicating in the change room and on the ice, I’ve been able to reach out to people and ask for help and work together to solve different homework problems,” said Pergentile.

It’s not only the teamwork skills that have shown themselves to be beneficial. The time management and dedication has led them to be more organized to keep track of all of their courses.

“Hockey’s been able to keep me regimented,” said Stephenson. “You have to stay fit to be playing hockey so it’s important to keep up your skills and practice a lot which is something that’s very important for school work as well. You’ve got to sit down and practice questions for every course you’re in to succeed.”

Even with the increased workload of university studies, all three have managed to keep their passion for the game active. Huras is still an OMHA referee while Stephenson plans to sign up for intramurals. Pergentile is currently a member of the Thorold Blackhawks in the GOJHL.

There will be co-op placements available as their studies continue and their fields of study narrow. Stephenson has goals to apply to MIT or Stanford and focus on cancer research and Huras wants to work in the field of green energy. 

“I’ve enjoyed it so far, I find it interesting,” said Huras. “Definitely a large workload but I made a good choice in selecting my program. I enjoy what I’m learning.”