Hundreds of graduating high school students from Nanaimo school district received a total of $474,500 in scholarships, bursaries and awards from the Nanaimo-Ladysmith Schools Foundation to pursue post-secondary education.
Overall, 373 students were awarded amounts ranging from $100 to $5,000 each.
Crystal Dennison, executive director of the foundation, said that service clubs, community organizations and private donors provided $323,500, while the Ministry of Education paid for 151 scholarships of $1,000 each. Last year, the foundation distributed $462,000 to local graduates toward the cost of post-secondary education.
Dennison credits the $12,500 increase in funding to new community donors and an additional $11,000 from the Ministry of Education.
This year’s top recipients, from Nanaimo secondary schools, receiving $3,000 or more, are:
Samantha Paule – Wellington: Kinsmen Club of Nanaimo-Trevor Thompson Award $2,000; Rotary Club of Nanaimo-Oceanside Awards $1,000; Ministry Dogwood Award $1,000.
Morgan Brimacombe – Wellington: Hitchcock Memorial Award $2,000; Rotary Club of Nanaimo-Oceanside Award $1,000; Ministry Dogwood Award $1,000.
Gregory Sorensen – Dover Bay: Linda McCourt Memorial Award $1,000; Women of the Moose #197 (Nanaimo) Award $1,000; Hospital Employees’ Union (Nanaimo Local) Award $500; Dr. Leo Margolis Memorial Award $500; Knights of Columbus #9990 Award $750.
Kevin Choi – Dover Bay: Justin Smith Scholarship $2,500; Ministry Dogwood Award $1,000.
Taylor Daneluk – Barsby: Cedar Prom Legacy Award $500; Erin van Steen Animal Health Care Award $2,000; Ministry Dogwood Award $1,000.
Zachary Apland – Wellington: Gyro Club of Nanaimo Elmer Bradshaw/Jack Ryan Award $2,000: Wellington Student Council Award $250; Ministry Dogwood Award $1,000.
Madeline Brooks – Dover Bay: Royal Canadian Legion Branch 257 Award $1,000; Canadian Federation of University Women Nanaimo Scholarship $1,100; Ministry Dogwood Award $1,000.
Mark Rudston-Brown – Dover Bay: The Barkerson Award-Trades $2,000; Ministry Dogwood Award $1,000.
Rayshell Doyle – Barsby: Ferns Bursary-Junior Leadership $750; Thrifty Foods Citizen Award $750: J.B.C.S. Band Parents’ Association Music Award $500; Ministry Dogwood Award $1,000.
Gagandeep Saroya – Barsby: Gyro Club of Nanaimo Elmer Bradshaw/Jack Ryan Award $2,000; Ministry Dogwood Award $1,000.
Lina Dinh – Woodlands: N.R.G.H. Auxiliary Bursaries $2,000; Ministry Dogwood Award $1,000.
Cameron Rogers – NDSS: Canadian Union of Public Employees Union Local 606 (Nanaimo Unit) Award $500; Mid Island Truck & Equipment Association Award $500; Rotary Club of Nanaimo Vocational Award $1,000; Ministry Dogwood Award $1,000.
Nanaimo-Ladysmith Schools Foundation is a community based, non-profit organization that raises money to help support basic needs of students in School District 68, which has a high child poverty rate.
While the original purpose was to raise money for scholarships and bursaries, the foundation’s mission has expanded over the years to provide food programs, school supplies and other needs of students. For more information or to donate, please visit www.nlsf.ca.