For four local students, good grades and hours of volunteer work have paid off – the recent high school grads were chosen out of almost 100 applicants to receive a $2,000 Envision Financial Education Award.
• White Rock Christian graduate and straight-A student Jennifer Schneider has travelled on mission trips to India and Guatemala. After witnessing incredible poverty and discrimination, Schneider opened her own bakery to raise funds for a school bus in India. So far she has raised $4,000. Schneider is also active in Night Shift Ministries, a local group assisting homeless people in the community. Schneider is now attending Ambrose University College in Calgary where she hopes to obtain her Bachelor of Ministries in Intercultural Studies.
• The tragic death of a good friend encouraged Earl Marriott student Cassie Loewen to “make a difference” in the lives of teenagers and become involved with the organization Young Life. During high school, she also volunteered at local soup kitchens and spent time with the homeless. Loewen is now pursuing a Bachelor of Arts at the University of the Fraser Valley.
• Currently attending Kwantlen Polytechnic University for Engineering, Earl Marriott grad Steven Morrison was an active volunteer for Peace Portal Alliance Church, where he assisted with youth leadership and planning. Morrison also regularly taught Sunday school classes and was a counselor at Camp Stillwood. Throughout high school he managed to maintain a 3.0 grade-point average while also balancing a paper route and part-time work in landscaping.
• In addition to writing and shooting stories for Shaw Television’s Gen-Why segment, Elgin Park student Sydney Thorne also volunteered with Teens Aiding the Planet, which encourages teenagers to make a difference in their immediate community. Thorne was also involved in a number of school drama productions. She is attending Corpus Christi College at the University of British Columbia and hopes to obtain a Bachelor of Fine Arts.