An essay written for a fourth year university history class has netted a White Rock man a $1,000 scholarship.
SFU graduate Harry Deng, who will begin his masters studies at UBC in September, is joined by fellow recipient Emma Quan in being awarded the W. Kaye Lamb Award for the “best student works for students at university or college in British Columbia,” the British Columbia Historical Federation (BCHF) announced in a release issued Thursday (May 28).
Deng, received the award for his essay “Vancouver’s Chinatown: Literary Mappings of Seclusion.”
At SFU, Deng focused on history and international studies with a concentration in comparative world politics, culture, and society.
In his application letter, Deng stated that “knowing the history of the province in which I grew up and knowing the stories of the places I have visited creates a deeper, more meaningful connection with the space. Moreover, this knowledge has provided me with different perspectives of not only the land and its physical features, but also the people who inhabit this land and call it home.”
The W. Kaye Lamb Award is presented to outstanding post-secondary student essays relating to the history of British Columbia. The award has been presented since 1988, and was initially known as the BCHF Scholarship.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 health situation, the BCHF annual conference schedule for June 2020, including the awards gala, has been cancelled. Thus, the prizes are being announced early and plans are in the works for ways to honour winners during the BCHF conference in 2021.
The BCHF encourages interest in the history of B.C. through research, presentation, and support in its role as an umbrella organization for provincial historical societies. Established in 1922, the federation currently provides a collective voice for over 100 member societies and 24,000 individuals in the provincial not-for-profit historical sector.