Healthcare professionals are at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic, and on behalf of Bow Valley College, we share our gratitude and support for all essential workers who are keeping our communities safe and healthy.

Alumna and Premier’s Scholarship Award Recipient, Patience Muchena, is one of our country’s brave healthcare professionals on the front line, working in a long-term care facility in Whitehorse, Yukon. For Patience, spreading words of hope is in her nature because she has relied on its power for a long time.

“These are tough times, but love is the best thing we can share right now.” – Patience Muchena

Before moving to Canada, Patience went through a lot in her life, including losing her father at a young age. She attributes her strength to her mother. After her father passed away, she observed her mother start over from scratch, persevering to provide her children with the best life possible. Despite challenging times, Patience remembers going to the best schools and never living without basic needs. Before moving to Canada, Patience’s mother passed away due to cancer. Now a mother herself, she continues to push forward for her children.

When Patience moved to Canada, she knew nothing about the country and didn’t know how to begin planting her roots here. Yet, with a little hope, community support, and education, she found her way. 

“There were times I felt like my life was over, but then complete strangers would call on me or invite me over for a cup of tea to tell me everything would be okay.” – Patience 

Now, as Patience faces this global pandemic on the front-line in a long-term care facility, she has trust in the community around her to stay at home, to look out for one another, and the community will pull through together.

Patience explains that during hard times like these, she’s appreciative of the education she received at Bow Valley College. Working in a health care role, she feels well prepared if her community faces an outbreak. She also believes there is always something positive to look forward to. To her, the positive effect of COVID-19 is that the world has never been closer. She is inspired by the fact that globally, we have one goal, and that is to figure this out and make people well. She says, “If we continue to work as a unit, we will get through this.”

Bow Valley College extends its heartfelt gratitude to all essential workers and is enormously proud of all Bow Valley College alumni who are keeping our community strong during this time. Thank you for your service.