News Archives: History Award created to honour Jaroslav (Jerry) Petryshyn
Friday, June 17th, 2011
Colleagues of GPRC history instructor Dr. Jaroslav (Jerry) Petryshyn have chosen to recognize his retirement by establishing an award in his name: the Jaroslav (Jerry) Petryshyn History Bursary. The name Jerry Petryshyn has been synonymous with history at the College and in the community for the past few decades. He has taught history to thousands of GPRC students, has published several articles and books, and has worked tirelessly in the community to honour and preserve the heritage of our region. Petryshyn began teaching history at GPRC in 1978, and in 1990 was commissioned to write a history of the College as part of 25th Anniversary celebrations. A Sense of Community: Grande Prairie Regional College 1966 - 1991 continues to be the definitive resource for facts about the history of GPRC. The contributions of Jerry Petryshyn have been widely recognized and honoured, including the GPRC Distinguished Employee Award 2006 and the George Repka Award (2009) for outstanding contributions to the City of Grande Prairie in a volunteer capacity. Petryshyn’s contributions to our community include: - National Historic Sites and Monuments Board - Grande Prairie Museum Board member - Chairman of the 2005 History Centennial Project which produced the two-volume Aberta Encyclopedia - Grande Prairie Heritage Building Inventory Committee - South Peace Regional Archives Steering Committee - Member of the Grande Prairie Library Board - President of the Ukrainian Catholic Church from 1994-2006 The Jaroslav (Jerry) Petryshyn History Bursary will provide a financial award for future students of GPRC wishing to pursue a study of History. Fellow history instructors Dr. Duff Crerar and Dr. Daryl White have been working to establish this award, and are gratified by the outpouring of support to date. It is their goal to secure sufficient contributions from the College and the community to fund an ongoing annual award.