Two students from Garibaldi secondary are recipients of the annual Horatio Alger Canadian Scholarship.
Jia Kim and Mikayla Kolebaba, both graduating from Garibaldi secondary, were awarded the scholarships worth $5,000 each.
The Horatio Alger Association of Canada, founded in 2009, is a national charitable organization that has been awarding annual scholarships to deserving high school students in financial need who have overcome significant adversity while demonstrating strength of character, strong academics, a commitment to pursuing higher education as well as a desire to contribute to society, since 2012.
The association expanded its scholarship reach to Alberta and B.C. with two new scholarship programs in honour of Horatio Alger member, business magnate, investor and philanthropist Jim Pattison.
The association is named after Horatio Alger, Jr., whose tales of overcoming adversity through unyielding perseverance and basic moral principles captivated the public in the late 19th Century.
This year, 170 scholarships were handed out. Ten recipients received the $10,000 Horatio Alger National Entrepreneurial Scholarships awarded to students who demonstrate a desire and ability to be entrepreneurial in a chosen field.
Since 2012, more than $5.1 million in scholarships have been awarded to 866 students across the country.
Kim has a 4.0 grade point average.
Kim has received three other scholarships totalling $7,500 from the University of Alberta, where she is planning to attend. She intends to major in biology in order to go to medical school following her undergraduate degree.
“It’s definitely going to help me pay for my tuition because I’m responsible for practically all of [it],” said Kim.