A pair of North Delta students have been awarded substantial scholarships in recognition of their achievements in overcoming adversity and for excelling in their studies.
North Delta Secondary’s Zeenat Rostainajad and Seaquam Secondary’s Nathan Manke were selected by the Cmolik Foundation to receive $40,000 each towards their post-secondary educations next fall. The foundation will also provide the students with a mentor, and they’ll have access to a supportive community of peers and alumni, as well as ongoing special events and professional opportunities, according to a press release.
Rostainajad has applied to study psychology at Douglas College, with plans to transfer to SFU to complete her bachelor’s degree before pursuing a master’s in art therapy.
“Zeenat impressed me greatly with her passion for making a positive difference within her school community, showing kindness, respect and empathy towards her peers,” Ikjot Sandhu, a child and youth care worker at NDSS, said in a press release.
“Her hard work and effort will get her very far in life and there is no doubt in my mind that she will succeed.”
Manke, meanwhile, plans on pursuing a degree in computer science and music.
“Ten years from now, I envision that I am working with a team of people to program and develop a video game project, as well as the music for it. Video games and music have brought me happiness that I will bring to others,” Manke said in a press release.
“I have come to know Nathan as a kind, diligent, hardworking and studious individual,” Jenny Gehiere, career advisor at Seaquam, said in a press release. “Nathan is exemplary in his resilience to adversity and embodies all a Cmolik Scholar is.”
The Cmolik Foundation was founded in 2008 to provide opportunities for youth who have experienced adversity in their lives, according to a press release. Rooted in a profound belief in the power of education to transform and empower, the foundation supports undergraduate and post-secondary education, mentorship, field trips and summer camps to support the healthy development of our youth.
editor@northdeltareporter.com
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