Two students pursuing careers in healthcare have received a financial boost for their education thanks to a Northumberland County hospital.
Northumberland Hills Hospital (NHH) in Cobourg recently announced the recipients of its 2025 Health Professions Scholarship awards.
Aishwarya Rajesh Krishnan and Reagan Lalande have each received $1,500 towards their post-secondary education in the healthcare field. The scholarship recipients were announced during a meeting of the hospital’s board of directors last Thursday (June 5).
“This year, we were delighted to receive applications from students representing a broader range of disciplines and areas of study within the healthcare system,” said board chair Cyndi Gilmer in a statement.
“While there were many deserving candidates who applied, and we commend all on their hard work and interest in NHH, the successful recipients of our 2025 scholarships have both demonstrated a clear commitment to their chosen professions with a desire to return and practise in Northumberland County,” Gilmer added.
The awards presentation is rooted in tradition, having been initiated in 2003 to support students from west Northumberland County who have chosen to pursue careers in the healthcare sector.
“We appreciate that it takes time and commitment to build a career in any profession, and healthcare and hospitals offer so many opportunities,” NHH president and CEO Susan Walsh told kawarthaNOW prior to the 2025 recipients being announced.
“This is a small token of our respect for the hard work that goes into education and professional development and, frankly, an investment in our own future, as it has proven very effective at attracting future employees to NHH.”
By supporting local students with their academic studies, the scholarship initiative aims to entice local students to seriously consider NHH when they graduate, and the time comes to select an employer.
Rajesh Krishnan of Cobourg is currently in her first year of medical school at the University of Toronto after graduating with distinction, in the top three per cent, from Queen’s University’s bachelor of health sciences program. As a medical student, she has demonstrated a desire to “build more accessible, sustainable, and equitable pathways within the healthcare system,” a media release noted.
An active member of the Canadian Federation of Medical Students’ Health and Environment Adaptive Response Task Force, Krishnan has founded global health literacy initiatives while actively engaging in research spanning Indigenous health, climate advocacy, cardiac health, and healthcare sustainability.
She also served as section editor for the University of Toronto Medical Journal and is a co-founder of a telemedicine education initiative.
“Throughout my academic journey, I have sought to integrate service, leadership, and scholarship,” Rajesh Krishnan said in her scholarship application letter.
“These experiences have solidified my commitment to delivering compassionate, evidence-based care within community healthcare settings. Receiving the NHH Health Professions Scholarship would be a meaningful step in my journey toward serving the people of Northumberland County as a physician and advocate. I would be truly honoured to represent NHH’s values in my future career.”
Lalande, also of Cobourg, recently earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in kinesiology at Brock University and has been accepted into the primary care paramedic program at Niagara College. Following the successful completion of her diploma, she intends to obtain a graduate certificate for advanced care paramedicine.
“As a future paramedic, Reagan hopes to improve patient quality outcomes through data-driven approaches within emergency medical services,” NHH stated. “She would also like to provide public health education and community outreach programs that enhance emergency preparedness and awareness.”
In her application letter, Lalande said she feels her chosen occupation is a vital field within healthcare.
“This is because of the strong relationship and functioning system paramedics must have with the emergency room and hospital staff to provide the best possible care for patients,” she said. “As a paramedic, I hope to make contributions to this community through providing advanced clinical skills in a hands-on setting for those needing care.”
In addition to being enrolled or accepted for enrolment in a full-time study program, applicants for NHH’s Health Professions Scholarship are evaluated on the basis of their academic achievements, extra-curricular activities, a personal testimonial they submit explaining their interest in a healthcare field, and written references.
Applications for the program are invited at any time, but typically close in February of each year, with presentations of the awards at the June meeting of the NHH board.
For full details on the Health Professions Scholarship program, including eligibility requirements, visit nhh.ca/careers/studentscholarship.
