OTTAWA, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. On Earth Day, members of the Algonquin College community are coming together to honor the establishment of a new endowed fund. Mrs. Hazel M. Patterson has donated $120,000 to establish an endowed scholarship for students pursuing programs focused on environmental sustainability. Every year, two students in one of the following programs will get the Hazel Smart-Patterson Environmental Scholarship:
 

 A noted alumna of Algonquin College's Business Management course, Mrs. Patterson has supported bursaries and scholarships there for 17 years. Indeed, her third endowment to the college is the Hazel Smart-Patterson Ecological Scholarship. Since 2008 and 2023, her first two endowed funds—the Hazel Smart-Patterson Bursary and the Hazel Smart-Patterson Scholarship—have supported and inspired women in the fields of math, science, technology, and engineering (STEM).
 

 Mrs. Patterson stated, "Education is transforming; evolution is what we need in our interaction with our organic surroundings." The goal of this scholarship is to equip and enable diligent students to effectively address environmental sustainability concerns, which are among the most pressing problems of our day.
 

 Many students in these programs will benefit from Mrs. Patterson's kindness, said Mark Savenkoff, Vice President of Advancement and Strategy at Algonquin College. This new endowed scholarship helps students, encourages environmental responsibility, and improves our whole community. On this Earth Day, we are grateful for the opportunity to further strengthen our partnership with Mrs. Patterson and work together towards a better planet.