April 11, 2025

Elena Moskaleva was so excited when she found out that she received a bursary and an award to help with her nursing studies, she literally jumped for joy and quickly told her family in Toronto and Kyrgyzstan the good news.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Ms. Moskaleva said. “It really gave me hope for a better future.”

Ms. Moskaleva hardly spoke a word of English when she first moved to Toronto from Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, in 2008. Since then, she’s studied and worked hard to build a life with her son and husband. However, it hasn’t always been easy.

“It makes me happy to know there are good people out there giving support,” she said. “It really makes a difference.”

Ms. Moskaleva is one of several students who recently received bursaries and awards to help them pursue their studies at Seneca Polytechnic.

She’s completing the first of three years in the Honours Bachelor of Science – Nursing (Bridge) program, which is designed to help registered practical nurses (RPNs) fast track their studies to become registered nurses.

However, that means studying for eight consecutive semesters and doing a professional practicum. Those additional hours make it challenging for her to work full time as an RPN, while also paying for the rising cost of living and for her studies. In addition, she said, like many mature students in her program, she’s supporting her son, who is also pursuing a postsecondary education.

This led her to apply for awards and she was thrilled to receive the Nanji Foundation Bursary in Nursing and the Consolidated Credit Financial Empowerment Award.

When Azim Nanji presented her with the award at the Seneca Polytechnic Awards reception in March, he told her how years ago when he needed assistance, he’d been fortunate to receive it and wanted to help others in return. Mr. Nanji is part of the Nanji Family Foundation, which made a significant gift to Seneca in 2022.

Mr. Nanji’s comments resonated with Ms. Moskaleva. “That really stuck in my heart,” she said. “In the future, I’d like to do the same thing and help others.”

She was also touched by the conversation she had with Lexi Lin, Community Outreach Manager, Consolidated Credit Counseling Services of Canada, who presented her with the Consolidated Credit Financial Empowerment Award.

“We spoke about the many challenges adult learners face — balancing work, family, kids and financial responsibilities,” Ms. Moskaleva said. “Lexi shared that she was once a Seneca student herself and expressed how meaningful it was for her to give back and support students in the local community. Her kindness and encouragement meant a lot to me.”

Ms. Moskaleva said she’s encouraging others to apply for awards and bursaries because they can really help.

In 2023-24, there were more than 550 awards and bursaries available to students, worth more than a total of $10 million at Seneca. And more than 6,100 students benefited.

Bursaries and awards are granted throughout the year. For more information on that process, please visit the awards, scholarships and bursaries website. For more information on making contributions, please visit the donations website.