Holland College students are heading to class with bigger smiles than usual this year. In the spring of next year, one of them will be handed the keys to a 2015 car!

For the 2014/15 school year, full-time students in their first or second year in any post-secondary program at Holland College are eligible to “earn” a 2015 Nissan Micra or one of four awards of $1,000 cash, thanks to the generosity of Calgary businessman and former Islander Lou MacEachern. Candidates will be nominated by faculty on the basis of merit, character, and academic achievement. The top five nominees will be interviewed by a selection panel in the spring of 2015, from which the car and the four cash awards will be presented.

Mr. MacEachern said his hope is to motivate students to work toward achieving their personal and academic bests.

“This isn’t about rewarding the student with the highest marks,” said MacEachern, “This is about encouraging all students to roll up their sleeves and work to their full potential.”

MacEachern grew up in Hazel Grove, PEI, and, like many of his generation, left school at a young age to help on the family farm.  In 1956, he returned to Queen Charlotte School in Charlottetown as a mature student, after which he attended post-secondary training at Prince of Wales College and then Dalhousie University.  MacEachern moved to Calgary, where he married, raised a family, and made his mark as a leader in business and as a benefactor in the community.

“We are so pleased to have Lou’s generous support for our college and our learners,” said Holland College President, Dr. Brian McMillan.  “This incentive is certainly an exciting one for Holland College students and will inspire many personal bests in 2014/15.”

The Micra is Nissan’s newest compact car, and is available in Canada for the first time this year. For more information on this opportunity for Holland College students, call the Holland College Foundation at (902) 566-9590.