BGHC Canada expects to award $30,000 worth of scholarships and $15,000 in financial aid to recipients within its borders.
Hess, the associate director of service-learning for community engagement at La Sierra University in Riverside, said paying for equipment and ice time was “the first thing that we came to” when outlining the BGHC’s mission and planning scholarships.
“Coming from an academic background, and being a mother of a child that played school sports, I know how expensive sports can be,” she said. “I really had no idea how expensive hockey was when I got into the sport.”
She learned about hockey’s costs when she spoke with Rebecca Warner, the mother of Lincoln Brown, then a forward with the Los Angeles Jr. Kings and now a 16-year-old playing for the Culver (Indiana) Military Academy.
“Equipment, fees, travel costs, she gave me all the information on how it all adds up,” Hess said. “So when I see the girls who are out there playing, especially the older girls, I know how helpful the scholarships can be.”
Hess said BGHC decided early on to design the scholarships so recipients and their families had greater flexibility with how the money would be used.
“We always tell the girls, ‘If you need to use this for hot cocoa in the arena on a game day, that’s OK, if mom needs it for gas, that’s OK,’” she said. “This is going to you to continue engaging in hockey.”
Merritt said she followed Hess’ advice. The 20-year-old from San Jose used her BGHC scholarship to pay for books and supplies at Saint Anselm, along with the unexpected expenses associated with being a college student.
“It really helped me be able to feel less stressed,” she said, “and be able to focus on my passion for the game instead of worrying, ‘How am I going to continue this, how am I going to get through my freshman year?’ That was a positive impact.”
