In 2024, over 240 Island Health Employees were awarded the Heather A. Simpson scholarship, covering 50% of their tuition for any education upgrades within the healthcare field. To learn more about supporting education in our hospitals, click here.
Alex Mah
Scholarship Recipient, Master’s Degree Student, Nurse, Father, Partner, Human
This fall, after nearly a decade of working as a nurse, I made the leap back into fulltime studies. I began the Master of Nurse Practitioner program at the University of Victoria. It marks the next step in my nursing career and the next step in my journey towards helping others.
I became a registered nurse about 10 years ago because I wanted a career where I could make an impact and help others, especially for those in marginalized communities. Even before I became a nurse, I worked in emergency cold weather shelters on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. I have always known I wanted a career where I could help others. I think it comes from the way I was brought up and how I’ve seen friends and family demonstrate care towards one another.
I believe most people want to do good by each other, uplift one another. The experiences I’ve had caring for patients throughout my career have left a lasting impact on me. When I graduate from the program, I hope to work as a family practice nurse practitioner (NP) or as part of a primary care network, where there’s a great need right now.
“I have always known I wanted a career where I could help others.”
“I want to stay in my community once I graduate and use my education, along with my new skills, to address the primary care needs of the people in my community.”
I’m immensely appreciative to be a recipient of the Heather A. Simpson Scholarship.
I’m so grateful to the donors who chose to use their financial resources to support my education and the education of others in healthcare. I can’t emphasize enough how important it is that healthcare workers have opportunities to advance their skills and learn new techniques. Medicine is always evolving, and as caregivers, we should evolve with it by enhancing our skills.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from BCIT in 2016, I accepted a position on the surgical unit in the Cowichan District Hospital in Duncan. I grew up in a small town and my partner and I always knew we wanted to return to a small town to raise our young family. We love the Cowichan Valley. I want to stay in my community once I graduate and use my education, along with my new skills, to address the primary care needs of the people in my community.
If I could meet the donors, I would tell them that I will work hard to make the most of this learning opportunity.
When I’m not studying, I love spending time with my family. I have two children aged 6 and 8. We love hiking, swimming and exploring the Island. Just spending time together gives us the energy and motivation to keep working towards our goals. I think the biggest difference about returning to school in your forties is you’ve already established your work ethic. You know how to study, you know what your goals are and you’re able to prioritize, meaning get the most out of your education while also spending time with loved ones. That’s what makes it all balance out.
Juggling a career, school and family are all fulltime jobs but I love every minute of it. There’s day-to-day stress for sure, but I handle it by being organized, making lists and schedules for the family to be sure we’re carving out enough time for one another.
I continue to work on a casual basis at the hospital while pursuing my degree. It also makes a big difference to know I have the financial support through the Heather A. Simpson Scholarship to pursue my goals. This scholarship will truly make my life as a student, parent, and Island Health employee much less stressful as I continue my studies over the next two years.
“Juggling a career, school and family are all fulltime jobs, but I love every minute of it. “
They are humans first, who put other humans first.
More than 8,900 caregivers and staff work around the clock in our Victoria Hospitals
#HumansFirst is dedicated to sharing the stories from behind our hospitals’ frontlines. These stories remind us that those who provide care and keep the lights on in our hospitals also have lives outside of them. They have family and friends, they enjoy hobbies and interests, and they have all lived through their own personal triumphs and heartbreaks. Like all of us, they are human, and they have a story to tell.
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