Tara Good

Tara Good: Northern Lights College grad awarded transfer scholarship

Fort St. John's Tara Good is among the 103 students who found this fall's transition from one post-secondary institution to another that much easier thanks to the legacy of a far-sighted philanthropist.

Good, 22, was awarded a $5,000 Irving K. Barber transfer scholarship to help with the costs
of moving 1,100 kilometres from her hometown of Fort St. John to Kelowna and starting the final years of her bachelor's degree. She completed a business management diploma program at Northern Lights College and is pursuing a bachelor of business administration with an accounting specialty at Okanagan College.

"It's a huge weight off my shoulders," says Good. "With moving and tuition, I had no idea how I was going to do it."

Established in 2006, the Ike Barber Transfer Scholarship was designed specifically to help students who have to transfer from one BC public post-secondary institution to another to finish their degrees. The award was established with a $15 million endowment from the Province of British Columbia in recognition of the contributions of philanthropist Ike Barber, who was an ardent and generous supporter of higher education and research in BC.

"BC has a great transfer system that allows students to move from one institution to another," says Rory Grewar, program director of the Irving K. Barber BC Scholarship Society. "When students can start their program at a local college in their hometown, they save money and can rely on their networks for support. Then, when it's time to move elsewhere to finish their degrees, the Ike Barber Transfer Scholarship can help financially."

At age 17, Good moved to Edmonton to pursue a general science degree but after a year and a half, it didn't feel like a good fit. "As much as I want to follow my passion, at the end of the day I wanted to study something that would help me end up in an actual profession," she says. Edmonton wasn't the right place and science not the program for her. She moved home.

Back in Fort St. John, Good was considering career options while working as a server at a local restaurant. One night, a table of chatty accountants told Good about life as an accountant and encouraged her to pursue accounting studies.

She always preferred numbers to words and liked the idea of having a specific job at the end of her studies. She enrolled in the business management program at Northern Lights College the next week. Good knew that she'd have to eventually move away to finish her education but was determined to find a way.  "Even though I already knew how hard it was to move away from home for school, I knew what I wanted to do and had to make it happen," she says. Armed with a plan, a little life experience, and a $5,000 scholarship, she set off to Okanagan College.

Now settled happily in Kelowna, Good is able to balance school and community involvement while pursuing a co-op placement. While her success has a lot to with her resolve, Good is grateful for the scholarship award that made for a much smoother transition.