Veronica Plihal

Veronica Plihal, 2015 Ike Barber Transfer Scholarship recipient

A move from Courtenay to Victoria was made a little smoother for psychology student Veronica Plihal after she was awarded a $5,000 Ike Barber Transfer Scholarship to support her transition from North Island College (NIC) to the University of Victoria (UVic) in Victoria.

At North Island College, she enrolled under the UVic Dual-Admission program, which allowed her to study at NIC and then transfer to UVic. After completing two years at NIC, Plihal was ready to make the move; she started courses at UVic in September 2015.

The move itself was stressful and she was nervous that school would be much more challenging at UVic. Her fears were alleviated after settling into her courses and quickly picking up her studies where she left off. It helped that several of her friends also made the move from the Comox Valley to Victoria for school.

Despite being originally intimidated by the change, Plihal found the transition to be fairly easy and is enjoying her course work.

"I'm taking all psychology courses including a psychopathology course, which I love," says Plihal. "I thought I wanted to go into medicine but I've learned that I'm actually more drawn towards psychology."

Throughout her education, Plihal has always had an inclination towards science-based studies, and through volunteer work at St. Joseph's General Hospital in Comox, her interest in health and mental wellness was confirmed. Once she completes her undergraduate studies, Plihal hopes to go on to graduate school and become a clinical psychologist. She would like to work in rural communities to provide care to those who may not otherwise have access to it.

With a strong belief that everybody deserves to get the support they need, she understands that resources are often limited and would like to contribute as much as possible to support the growing need for clinical psychological services. To complement her desire for accessibility of mental health services, Plihal is a patient-care advocate. She understands the importance of kindness and compassion in the treatment process.

In her spare time, Plihal goes for runs, draws, plays the piano and spends time with friends.