Congratulations to BCIT Occupational Health and Safety Diploma program student Vanna Lymberopoulos. Vanna recently won the Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals (BCRSP) Scholarship. This annual award is designed to support students entering the occupational health and safety (OH&S) profession. It supports the creation of healthy and safe workplaces, and also provides financial assistance to undergraduate students in OH&S. Finally, it also raises awareness of the Canadian Registered Safety Professionals (CRSP) certification. Vanna plans to write the CRSP Examination in hopes of getting her certification once she is able to accumulate sufficient work experience.
“The CRSP shows professional commitment and credibility,” says Vanna, “I want to be a leader in safety wherever my career may take me. I always want to ‘walk the talk’ and lead by example.”
One of only two scholarship recipients
Only two scholarship award recipients were selected from across Canada. BCIT is proud to see one of our students recognized by the national certification organization.
Vanna applied for this scholarship after OH&S Program Head Robert Miller sent the application information to students. Rob extends his congrats to Vanna. “I really enjoyed
teaching Vanna during her two years in the program,” he says. “Vanna is well deserving of this prestigious award. She has responded to the unique diversity of the safety industry by demonstrating strong leadership and interpersonal skills in her class work and practicum.”
The award was highly competitive, requiring that recipients have a 4.0 GPA (equivalent to straight As) and submit a 1000–1250 word essay about the benefits of Occupational Health and Safety in a workplace organization.
A rewarding career
Since completing the program in June, Vanna has found employment as the Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee Trainer and Auditor Associate in Risk Management Services at UBC.
Vanna chose the OH&S program at BCIT “because it has a strong reputation in the safety field for being one of the best OH&S programs in Canada. Throughout my two years I learned everything from occupational hygiene to engineering materials. The diploma program also teaches students about business law and focuses on developing strong communication skills.”
“I chose to pursue a career in safety to prevent injuries from occurring. Knowing that my work can lead to an employee going home safely to their family is very motivating.”
Interested in this program? Check out one student’s experience conducting a real-life Safety Program Review as part of his program.
Congrats Vanna!
Well deserved!