For the Hauck family, education isn’t just a personal journey — it’s a legacy.

Over the last twenty years, five members of the Hauck family — spanning three generations — have walked across the graduation stage at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC), all of whom have dedicated their careers to improving the lives of others.

It all began with Elaine Hauck.

A recipient of a UNBC In-course Scholarship, Elaine was 58 years old when she completed her Bachelor of Arts in History degree, with a minor in Women’s Studies.

“Women’s issues have always been of interest to me,” notes Elaine, “and so I was pleased to see my daughter and granddaughters follow in my footsteps at UNBC, each of us supported by the good men in our lives.”

Elaine’s decision to pursue a university education later in life was driven by a lifelong love of learning and a desire to give back.

“I’ve always been an active volunteer in the community,” says Elaine, who arrived in Prince George in 1966 from Saskatchewan, via Kamloops, with her husband Pat. “I trained as a hospice worker and helped facilitate many children’s grief groups as well as doing hospice work with clients. I was on the board for the Phoenix Transition Society and volunteered in my church councils and at the St. Vincent de Paul Society.”

After obtaining her degree, Elaine worked with the Prince George Oral History Group through Northern BC Archives in UNBC’s Geoffrey R. Weller Library, preserving stories from local seniors. Today, she continues to write family histories and articles for publications like the Saskatchewan Senior newspaper.

Elaine’s daughter, Marnie Hauck-Bohmer, earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) in 2005 and has gone on to pursue a career in healthcare leadership. After working in the surgical, dialysis, emergency, and maternity units at the University Hospital of Northern British Columbia (UHNBC) in Prince George, Marnie relocated to Calgary in 2019, where she now is the Connect Care provincial lead for women’s health.

“I think my degree prepared me by providing foundational competencies to develop my advanced practice nursing skills,” says Marnie, who later pursued a master’s in nursing leadership and is now working toward her PhD.

The family’s commitment to care has continued with Marnie’s daughter, Courtney Hauck, who graduated from UNBC’s Nursing program in 2023.

“My training at UNBC gave me the skills and confidence I needed to begin my career as a registered nurse,” says Courtney, who works in labour and delivery at UHNBC.

Crediting UNBC’s financial awards program with helping to achieve her dream, Courtenay was the recipient of the Terry Sweet Memorial Scholarship, the Elsie Gerdes Bursary and the UHNBC Hospital Auxiliary Nursing Award during her time as a nursing student.

“In addition to helping me realize my goal of becoming a nurse, I am grateful these awards continue to support other students in achieving their education goals and dreams,” says the UNBC alumna.

Courtney isn’t the only one from her generation to join the family tradition. Her cousins – sisters Alexis Hauck and Jana (Hauck) Feduck - earned BScN degrees from UNBC in 2018 and 2016, respectively. Both are now part of the nursing team at UHNBC.

A lifelong Prince George resident, Alexis is focused on staying close to home and contributing to the health of her community. After graduating from UNBC and building her career over the past six years at UHNBC, Alexis is now the Clinical Mentor for the hospital’s medicine floor - a position that allows her to guide and support new nurses to the unit.

“I really enjoyed my time at UNBC — the campus is in such a beautiful location, and my training gave me the knowledge and confidence I needed to step into the field,” says Alexis. “Now, being able to mentor others as part of their nursing journey feels like a full-circle moment.”

Jana, who works in the stepdown unit on UHNBC’s Surgery South floor, also attributes her time at UNBC with helping to open doors to her career as a nurse in Prince George, particularly her clinical experience.

As a student nurse preceptor (mentor), she says, “UNBC provides many placement opportunities to students that allow them to experience different areas of nursing and foster a relationship with potential future employers and coworkers.”

Like her cousin, Jana also credits a scholarship from the University with supporting her academic journey.

“When I graduated high school, I received the Raven Scholarship from UNBC,” explains Jana. “Prior to going into the nursing program, I attended UNBC for two years taking general sciences. The Raven Scholarship provided financial assistance to help me explore my learning interests and discover my passion.”

From Elaine’s late-in-life pursuit of knowledge, to Marnie’s healthcare leadership, to the rising careers of Courtney, Alexis, and Jana — the Hauck family shares a deep commitment to helping others.

“I would like to thank my grandparents and parents for sponsoring the original petition to start UNBC,” says Jana. “It is very meaningful to have a university to attend in the North to stay close to family.”