U of A nursing students create scholarship for one of their own
Marnie Colburne thinks of her friend every morning at 4 a.m., during her daily commute to the hospital.
A recent university graduate, Colburne is a newly minted registered nurse, just like Rachael Longridge always wanted to be.
"She just inspired everyone around her without putting anyone down," Colburne said Friday about her friend and classmate. "She's just such a nurse, always wanted to be a nurse."
Colburne was on holiday in British Columbia in December 2016 when she heard that her friend had been stabbed to death in Edmonton.
After Christmas break, Colburne used her role as president of the nursing undergraduate association to create a scholarship in Longridge's name.
The $500 annual award will go to a student in the nursing program who demonstrates leadership and commitment to the profession.
The association voted in the spring to increase membership fees by $2.50 per student to fund the scholarship.
"We see this being a scholarship that goes on forever," Colburne said.
The first person Colburne reached out to was Danielle Bourque, one of Longridge's best friends in the program.
"Rachael had such passion for what she did, and she was just looked up to by so many people at the U of A," Bourque said. "It's really great that they're able to recognize her in some sort of way."