The Sandra Schmirler Foundation announced Tuesday that Ackerman was one of six competitors being honoured with Spirit of Sandra Scholarships, marking the second straight year the 18-year-old former Moose Jaw competitor had received the accolade.
The Spirit of Sandra Scholarship comes with a $5,000 award as well as mentorship and guidance from five-time Scotties Tournament of Hearts champion Cathy Overton-Clapham.
“I’m over the moon thankful to the Sandra Schmirler Foundation not just for receiving the scholarship for the second time, but just for everything they do all across the whole country,” Ackerman said. “They save the lives of babies and do so many wonderful things for everyone, it’s just wonderful to be recognized by a foundation that does so much.”
That kind of attitude to the whole thing is one the major reasons Ackerman and her fellow scholarship winners were accepted.
“Each of our scholars excel both athletically and academically. And, they are all engaged with their communities and committed to giving back to curling and keeping Sandra’s legacy alive,” Overton-Clapham said in making the announcement.
The scholarship isn’t handed out lightly, either – only 29 have been awarded since 2013, and it’s something the young curlers have to put plenty of time towards.
“It’s based on academics, your curling performance and volunteering in the community,” Ackerman explained. “There are multiple questions you have to answer and then there’s a YouTube video you put together telling them who you are and what you do and that kind thing… it’s a process, but it’s all worth it.”
Ackerman – entering her second year in the Kinesiology program at the University of Saskatchewan – hosted a wildly successful fundraising tournament as part of her scholarship requirements last season, with the event receiving consideration as an annual stop on the Moose Jaw Ford Curling Centre calendar.
The tournament also had the additional bonus hosting of Schmirler teammates Jan Betker, Joan McCusker and Marcia Gudereit and the Scotties Tournament of Hearts trophy during a special reception.
Ackerman plans to take an ‘if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it’ approach this time around.
“I’m planning to do the same one,” she said. “I haven’t picked a date or weekend yet just because it’s hard to know what’s going on right now. It was a blast and so much fun last year and I can’t wait to do it again.”
Speaking of the Scotties, Ackerman was in action there, too, working the Mosaic Place crowd for donations during the draw-by-draw Crowd Sweep to raise funds for the Sandra Schmirler Foundation.
And then there was Ackerman’s success on the ice.
Ackerman and her Saskatoon Nutana rink of third Emily Haupstein, second Taylor Stremick and lead Abbey Johnson reached the championship final at the junior women’s provincial championship and took things to the final shot before falling 7-5 to Saskatoon’s Ashley Thevenot.
Ackerman wasn’t done there, though.
She would join forces with skip Daymond Bernath from the junior men’s provincial runner-ups for the first-ever U18 mixed doubles championship and would post an 8-1 record on their way to winning gold, defeating Regina’s Joshua Bryden and Shayla Moore 6-4 in the final.
The other five scholarship winners come from across Canada and include Saskatchewan native and Alberta junior provincial medalist Dustin Mikush, Canada Winter Games gold medalist Bella Croisier, B.C. junior silver medalist Johnson Tao, former B.C. junior silver medalist Michael Nunn and Youth Olympic Games gold medalist Nathan Young of Newfoundland.
Each of the scholarship award winners will receive a $10,000 grant at the end of the 2020-21 season to go towards the neonatal care unit at a hospital of their choice.
