The first annual Anne Beaty Memorial Scholarship for education in journalism and communications was awarded to an Airdrie student Nov. 9.
Rachel McCarville, 22, is a third-year public relations student at Mount Royal University and said she was honoured to receive the scholarship.
“I was very honoured. I was very, very excited. Anne seemed like a great lady. She left behind a wonderful legacy,” she said. “I’m very, very grateful.”
Beaty lived in Airdrie for more than 20 years and worked in the media for many, including a stint at airdrielife magazine. She also worked at the Airdrie Public Library as a communications co-ordinator for about five years.
Sherry Shaw-Froggatt, airdrielife magazine publisher, created the scholarship in memory of Beaty, who worked at the publication from 2010 to 2016. Shaw-Froggatt said 10 applications were received for the first scholarship.
The $1,000 scholarship was presented to McCarville at TD Canada Trust on Main Street, which is the official bank for the scholarship, as well as a financial contributor.
McCarville said although she never met Beaty, she knew of her and was familiar with some of her work. She said her choice for education in communications stemmed from her love of writing.
“I really do enjoy writing and a lot of public relations is about writing, but I liked the public relations program because it was very well-rounded,” McCarville said. “It was very intriguing to me and that’s why I applied to that program.”
Beaty’s 95-year-old mother Jeanne made a major financial contribution to the scholarship, along with other local businesses and individuals.
“I thought it was a very wonderful idea. Anne was a very good journalist and editor, and she cared – she cared about journalism,” Jeanne said. “And I think that journalism needs good, young minds.”
Jeanne was a journalist for many years, herself. Her last stint was at the Lethbridge Herald in the 1970s.
“It was a job I loved,” she said.
Applications for the 2018 scholarship will be accepted this winter. The scholarship is open to students in the Rocky View County area pursuing a post-secondary education in journalism or communications.
For more information, visit airdrielife.com
