A young South Surrey kickboxer who last year claimed a world-champion title is among three Surrey students named this month as recipients of the Ryan Beedie Leadership Award.
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Joseph Piccolo and other recipients of the $20,000 scholarship – funded by SFU Beedie School of Business alumnus Ryan Beedie – “demonstrated leadership through remarkable achievements, both academic and extracurricular, prior to joining SFU Beedie,” according to a news release.
Surrey’s Arman Turna (North Surrey Secondary) and Nicholas Giffen (Holy Cross Regional High School) also received the award, as did undergraduates Nicholas Bauernschmitt and Natalia Bean.
The students will each receive support of $20,000 over four years, in recognition of their commitment to leadership while at high school.
In its second year, the leadership award is funded by a $500,000 gift made by Beedie in 2016, which is to support 25 undergraduates over five years (five students per year). Beedie’s donation follows the Beedie family’s $22 million donation in 2011 – largest gift in SFU’s history – to establish the Beedie School of Business.
“The more students I meet through my involvement with SFU, the more impressed I am by their energy, ambition and accomplishments,” Ryan Beedie said in the news release.
“This year’s recipients of the awards are, once again, exceptional young people and it is my hope that this support will allow them to fulfil their obvious potential and develop into inspirational leaders.”