Reno Fabro Award, Received June 2014
I received this award in grade 12. It is given to a student in recognition of their perseverance through adversity. In my early years of high school I struggled with aspects of my home life; this negatively impacted my performance and behaviour at school. In my first 3 years of high school I often scored low grades in classes and made frequent visits to the principal’s office. With the support of some of my teachers who never gave up on me, I realized that I could do better for myself. So, I worked hard to turn things around socially and academically. By grade 12 I was scoring good grades, but more importantly I had become a better person. I earned the respect of my classmates and was voted in as the class valedictorian. Given my history, these accomplishments were considerably special and the faculty at Sa-Hali Secondary realized that. Thus, they awarded me the Reno Fabro Award shortly before graduation.
Bachelor of Arts Degree, Received June 2019
I began classes at Thompson Rivers University in the Fall following my high school graduation. Enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts program, I began my post-secondary career with little direction, but with full confidence that I wanted to further my academic journey. Over the course of the next 4.5 years I learned more than I could have hoped for. Not only did I discover a career path, I also got to know myself better. The personal and academic development I underwent over the course of this degree is something I value incredibly. Therefore, this degree symbolizes not only the completion of a post-secondary program; it also a tangible representation of important aspects of my identity and the value of education.
Elizabeth A. Owen Bursary, Received November 2019
This is a financial award I received in the Fall semester of 2019; however, its value was not solely monetary. Prior to attending the ceremony at which I received this award, I was unaware of who the donar was. Award recipients met the donars upon receiving the award ; thereafter, they had a chance to visit and thank them. When I met my donar I was shocked, because I had known them for sometime, but had not had the opportunity to converse in several years. The donar was my grade 5 teacher and the award was handed out in honour of her mother, Elizabeth A. Owen, a former school teacher and important figure in the Kamloops community. I saw the transfer of the award from her and her family to me as symbol representing the importance of education and caring for each student. As my grade 5 teacher once taught me and is now supporting me on my path to teaching others, the effort she put into helping me get to the next step has almost come around full circle. Recognizing this, I know that in order to ensure all my future students get a chance at success I need to support them as best as I can.
KMHA Midget (U17) Recreation Coach of the Year, Received March 2020
This award came as a surprise to me, and I had no idea I was to receive it until I was called up to the stage. As the name suggest, this award is given out annually to the best coach that season. Considering the fact that my team had very little success winning games this past season, I did not expect to even be considered for this award. However, the measure of success use to define being the “best” was not wins or losses, but rather the effort a coach put into helping each player get the most out of their hockey season. I do not like to assume that I surpassed other coaches in accomplishing this goal. In fact, I do not really like to compare myself to others at all, and as I reflect back on the 2019-20 hockey season I do not remember winning or losing games. Instead I remember the the joy players had when they were at the rink, which is far more rewarding than any designation, even coach of the year; I still appreciate it, though.