Two recent Portage College graduates of the Environmental Technologist Diploma program, and a returning student are the first recipients of the Mark S. Froehler Scholarship for Environmental Studies.
The students, Emily Lee, Ashley Hennenfent and Tresor Wotton, were presented the awards by Portage College Vice President Carrie Froehler in a ceremony earlier this year recognizing the students’ hard work, and her late husband’s love for the environment.
Mark passed away five years ago at the age of 64, from complications associated with a 22-year battle with cancer. Mark was a loving husband and father who was a career forestry officer, an avid hunter and fisherman, a Lifetime Member of the Lac La Biche Kinsmen Club, and a “big time supporter of the College and the community,” said Carrie, adding that her husband was well-respected in the forestry sector, and he would often be invited to give guest lectures to college classes.
Presenting the scholarships – each worth $1,000 – to the students at a special lunch provided to the first- and second-year students by the program’s faculty, Carrie said the presentation day had extra significance since it was also her wedding anniversary. Fighting back tears like many students and faculty members at the presentation, she said Mark would be pleased to be helping future environmental stewards.
“At the end of his time, we were talking about things we could do. We decided to put together a scholarship. Forestry and the environment were particularly important to Mark. It meant a lot to him – so this means a lot to me,” Carrie explained.
The scholarship is just one connection between Mark, the College, the community, and the environmental sector. Mark and Carrie’s son is a 2016 graduate of the Natural Resources Technician program who now has an established career in the environmental sector. Mark is a Life Member of the Lac La Biche Kinsmen Club, and his name is on the Bold Centre hockey arena time-box where he spent many hours as a hockey dad, coach and volunteer for Lac La Biche Minor Hockey, and as a volunteer at Portage College Voyageurs games.
In the scholarship package presented to this year’s recipients, a photo of Mark was included, along with a unique design drawing he created towards the end of his life of a duck’s head created from a fishhook and deer antlers.
The scholarship was created with the help of donations collected at Mark’s funeral, funds from the Lac La Biche Kinsmen, as well as family and community contributions. In total, $26,000 was put into the scholarship endowment fund. In the years since his passing, the fund has grown to provide an ongoing annual scholarship disbursement for Environmental Technologist Diploma students.
Scholarship recipient Tresor Wotton has been a goaltender for the Portage College Voyageurs hockey team since the 2024-25 season. He has skated past Mark’s name on the time-box hundreds of times. He was aware of Mark’s significant contributions – but the scholarship and its meaning make it more personal.
“It’s a really awesome connection to have,” said Wotton, who has returned to Portage to complete the diploma course. “I’ve seen Mark’s name in the arena, and now to have his picture with the scholarship … it’s very special,” said Wotton.
The Mark S. Froehler Scholarship for Environmental Studies scholarship is available to first- or second-year Environmental Technologist Diploma students. The application process considers academic merit along with a written essay component.
Information about available scholarships at Portage College can be found on the Portage College website.