Growing up, Mattea Gerl always wanted to be a professional cheerleader, but now, she says her dream career is to become a Customer Service Technician with SaskTel.

Mattea was chosen as the SaskTel Youth Electronics Class Scholarship recipient through Campus Regina Public for the 2017/18 school year.

She will move on to post-secondary school at Saskatchewan Polytechnic in the fall to further her education through the Telecommunications Networking Technician course in Regina.

“I’m so thankful to be recognized for this award, especially for something I love so much,” said Mattea, who graduated from Grade 12 at Thom Collegiate in June and completed classes through Campus Regina Public.

The two $1,000 scholarships, sponsored through SaskTel’s Youth Network program, recognize Grade 12 Campus Regina Public students who completed the Electrical and Electronics class while demonstrating leadership, academic achievement, financial need and community involvement.

Successful candidates must also be registered in a Saskatchewan post-secondary institution pursuing a degree, diploma or certificate program directly related to the Information Communication and Technology (ICT) industry.

Although two Youth Network’s Electronics Class Scholarships were available this year, Mattea was the only applicant who qualified for the award.

Holding an overall average of 91 per cent in the Electrical and Electronics classes completed at Campus Regina Public, Lyndsey Pankratz, SaskTel’s Youth Network Program Manager, thought Mattea’s scholarship application really stood out.

“Mattea was truly a perfect fit for the award,” said Lyndsey. “This scholarship program allows us to showcase all of the valuable opportunities that we give to students while expanding our relationship with them.”  

A self-described “outgoing people person,” Mattea said she fell in love with the Electrical and Electronics class when she first enrolled in Grade 9.

Soon after attending a pre-employment workshop that was presented in association with SaskTel’s Youth Network, she was certain her future career would be as a Customer Service Technician.

When she was accepted into school, like so many other students, Mattea said she was concerned about the high cost of tuition.

“This scholarship takes a lot of stress off me, and I can’t even tell you how much that’s going to help me, moving on to post-secondary,” she said.

While providing a fantastic opportunity for students, this scholarship also enables SaskTel to continue its commitment to assisting young people in achieving both personal and career goals.

Students interested in pursuing their own post-secondary dreams are encouraged to apply for a SaskTel Scholarship today! Learn more about how to qualify and apply here. The deadline for 2019/20 applications is March 31, 2019.