Photo: Okanagan College

Winning $5,000 towards college tuition through a local giveaway contest was the last thing Brittani Sali expected to happen this week. 

In fact, the 22-year-old was just waking up when she answered the phone from a local radio announcer, and thought she may have still been dreaming. 

The contest, sponsored by the Payton and Dillon Budd Memorial Fund, was hosted in partnership with Virgin Radio and the Okanagan College Foundation and entered by 80 college students considering a career in the healthcare industry. 

Sali had applied to Okanagan College's two-year Therapist Assistant diploma program before learning about the contest, but now will have almost her full tuition paid through the contest funds.

“The health care field was always something I wanted to go into and there are so many options beyond the well-known role of nurses or doctors,” she says, “and COVID-19 has only made it more clear how important health professionals are to our lives.”

Local philanthropist Tom Budd, who funded the tuition giveaway in support of the college's Our Students, Your Health campaign, says he was very motivated to help. 

“I am impressed by Brittani’s passion and I’m so happy my fund can help her pursue a career in health and helping others."

The college is halfway to reaching its $5 million campaign goal to build a new Health Sciences Centre and support students entering healthcare careers. To learn more, visit the website.