New award in memory of Okanagan College professor

PENTICTON – A respected Okanagan College professor will be remembered through an annual award.

Professor Tom Santosham died when his car slid into a lake near his Penticton home on Oct. 31, 2014, and shortly after his family decided to create an annual award in support of business students at Okanagan College’s Kelowna campus, where Dr. Santosham taught global marketing for 14 years.

The first memorial awards were presented by Dr. Santosham’s family to two of Dr. Santosham’s students on Dec. 5.

Kendall Ross and Nathan Milligan were both students of Dr. Santosham at the time of his death.

Milligan said it was a privilege to be educated by “such a humble person who had an abundance of life and career experience.”

Ross appreciated the timeliness of the award, saying, “Finances have been difficult throughout school and this has allowed me to start a savings account for my future, possibly to pursue a master’s degree.”

The Santosham Award in Business will be open to domestic students continuing in the Business Administration Program, with selection based on academic achievement and financial need. The annual award is worth $1,000.

Donations to the Thomas V. Santosham Award in Business can be made by contacting Anne Kirkpatrick, Development Officer, Okanagan College Foundation, or by contribution online at: www.okanagancollegefoundation.ca

To contact the reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

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    Jennifer Taylor

    What a lovely way to honour someone who cared so much about his students!

Steve Arstad

I have been looking for news in the South Okanagan - SImilkameen for 20 years, having turned a part time lifelong interest into a full time profession. After five years publishing a local newsletter, several years working as a correspondent / stringer for several local newspapers and seven years as editor of a Similkameen weekly newspaper, I joined iNFOnews.ca in 2014. My goal in the news industry has always been to deliver accurate and interesting articles about local people and places. My interest in the profession is life long - from my earliest memories of grade school, I have enjoyed writing.
As an airborne geophysical surveyor I travelled extensively around the globe, conducting helicopter borne mineral surveys.
I also spent several years at an Okanagan Falls based lumber mill, producing glued-wood laminated products.
As a member of the Kaleden community, I have been involved in the Kaleden Volunteer Fire Department for 22 years, and also serve as a trustee on the Kaleden Irrigation District board.
I am currently married to my wife Judy, of 26 years. We are empty-nesters who enjoy living in Kaleden with our Welsh Terrier, Angus, and cat, Tibbs.
Our two daughters, Meagan and Hayley, reside in Richmond and Victoria, respectively.

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