A student at Garibaldi will only have to concentrate on his studies for the first four years of his undergrad education after receiving a $70,000 scholarship.
Chetanbir Brar, who will be graduating from Garibaldi Secondary this year, was one of 20 graduates across the country to receive a TD Scholarship for Community Leadership, handed out at the beginning of April.
The 18-year-old received $10,000 for four years to put towards tuition and textbooks and $7,500 each year for living expenses.
Brar was at a family gathering when he received the call awarding him a scholarship, but he didn't pick up at first because he didn't recognize the phone number.
After the fifth phone call, he finally answered, surrounded by his family who were very happy and excited for him, said Brar.
He applied for the scholarship – for graduating students who give back to their school community, as well as to the community at large – at the beginning of the school year.
Brar was already involved in a number of clubs, some of which he started, helping the homeless, advocating for mental health awareness, and mentoring other students.
He started a chapter of The Good Guys Club at the school, a youth-led registered non-profit organization dedicated to addressing homelessness and tackling food insecurity in the Downtown Eastside, which has school chapters in Vancouver and across the Lower Mainland. The club collects funds to create care packages for those in need, including water, sandwiches, and other non-perishable food items to give to people experiencing homelessness.
The Garibaldi club, also donates to the Salvation Army Ridge Meadows Ministries and the Friends In Need Food Bank as well.
There are 15 to 20 people involved in the club which meets every Thursday, holding one event per month.
Over the last two years the group has impacted more than 400 people with their services, said Brar, who started the group in Grade 10.
But, he doesn't just help the homeless, Brar has also been involved in a mental illness initiative at Garibaldi Secondary, organizing a month of Wellness Wednesdays to promote good mental health and to teach the younger students healthy ways to improve their mental well being. This club took their message to residents of Baillie House, a long-term care community operated by Fraser Health in Maple Ridge.
Here they spend two hours a day, once a week, helping the residents by doing physical activities with them, in addition to simply talking with them.
"We kind of make their day a little bit more active, by, you know, getting them to play games, and just having valuable conversations with them as well," explained Brar.
He also created a website for people to learn how to advocate for mental health in their own schools and what the steps are to start up an organization or a non-profit.
Brar shared that he had to reach out, himself, to ask for help with mental health issues, a first step that took him some time to recognize. And, knowing others who were afraid to ask for help because of the stigma surrounding mental health, he wanted to have a hand in helping other students to be able to reach out as well.
"I just wanted to share what my experience was," noted Brar.
"I wanted to make that as comfortable as possible, asking for help, and being there for someone when they are at their lowest points," he said.
Brar is part of the Model United Nations group at his school, attending conferences in Vancouver and Abbotsford, and advocating for others to enter the debate, share their voice and political opinions.
And he is part of the Link Crew at the school, mentoring students making the transition from elementary to high school. This club makes connections during the first week of school with the new student, that continue throughout the Grade 8 year, so that they have a person to turn to if they need help or have any questions.
Brar has been involved with this group for the last three years.
"I just love the connections that I've made," he said, noting that he has friends now who are in Grade 8 and 9. "It's nice to see how those connections last for such a long time even though we met for like, a day in Grade 8. We just connected so instantly," he said.
Brar will be studying neuroscience at the University of Alberta in the fall and is hoping to eventually go to medical school.
In addition to the scholarship TD also gives each scholarship winner a guarantee of summer employment either at their corporate office, at any branch of the bank, or with their partner organizations.
Brar attended a three-day conference in Ottawa at the end of May where he had an opportunity to meet in-person the TD Scholarships for Community Leadership winners, donors and members of the trustee board – people he describes more like family now.
"You get to make connections that last a long time," he said.
Since 1995, TD has awarded millions in scholarships to recognize students who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to community leadership.
Scholarship winners will also receive peer networking and mentorship.