The Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows Arts Council awarded five deserving Grade 12 students scholarships to support their education.
This year, the council received more than 20 scholarship applications and selected recipients based on a combination of demonstrated artistic impression, technical skill, level of presentation, grades relating to the artistic category, personal resume and planned attendance at a post-secondary institution.
The $1,000 scholarships were awarded for music, dance, theatre, visual arts or media arts and a new category, literary arts.
“To be the visual and media arts scholarship recipients means the world to me. Not only will it help me financially, when going to BCIT this October, but it gives me the self confidence to peruse my future field of graphic design,” said scholarship recipient Natasha Kloyber.
The Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows Scholarship program has been offered to students in School District 42 for many years and since 2005 the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows Arts Council has provided more than $40,000 in support to students.
“When I began playing piano at three years old, I had no idea of the dedication, love, and hard work it would require to take me to the place I am today. Music, and the piano, has become my passion, and to be chosen as a recipient for this scholarship means a great deal to me,” said Claire Oliverio, who plans to begin her studies at Kwantlen Polytechnic University and eventually transfer to the University of British Columbia or University of Victoria.
“It was so exciting and such an honour to receive this scholarship, both from a graduating student’s perspective and from a writer’s perspective. I’m so grateful to have been chosen as a recipient; this scholarship will be a big help in enabling me to pursue my dreams and post-secondary education,” said Melissa Haavisto, who is already enrolled to study graphic design at Kwantlen.
Recipients:
• Natasha Kloyber, Thomas Haney secondary – visual and media art;
• Melissa Haavisto, Maple Ridge secondary - literary arts;
• Spencer Dodd, Garibaldi Secondary – technical theatre;
• Julya Rempel, Garibaldi secondary – dance;
• Claire Oliverio, Maple Ridge secondary – music.