Award Recipients

My name is Nolan Cheng and I am a developing visual artist, graphic designer, and 2D + Experimental Animation student at Emily Carr University of Art and Design. This scholarship will go towards my tuition at Emily Carr.

I have tremendous gratitude for the teachers, friends, mentors, and family who have supported me throughout the years. From my high school career at Burnaby North Secondary School, I have gained a variety of opportunities that have defined me as an artist and individual. My much-loved roles as Creative Director of Yearbook, Chair of the Fine Arts Council, and Choir Committee Chair have shaped me immensely and will be the empowering memories I can look back on when I strive for future opportunities.

Thank you to the STA Scholarship Committee for selecting me as a recipient of this award. Being awarded this scholarship inspires artists like myself to continue pursuing creative practice and to design a world that is more colorful and inclusive.

Hello there! My name is Elise Dalzell and I was a recipient of the STA scholarship in the amount of 2000$. I am just writing to you to say thank you. This scholarship means a lot to me and having this money will help me in pursuing my dreams and continuing my studies in musical theatre. You were incredibly generous and I am forever thankful for this scholarship.

Thank you to all members and staff of the Surrey Teachers’ Association. I feel very fortunate to have been selected. The Surrey Teachers’ Association scholarship will help immensely with the significant cost of my education at the University of British Columbia. I live on campus at UBC Vancouver and with inflation, I am grateful for the financial support being provided by the STA. I’m in the first year of a five-year Bachelor of Arts-Master of Management dual degree program that is a mix of Arts and Sauder courses. My long-term goals are to complete these two degrees and then pursue a career either in business or as an elementary school teacher. In grade 11, I completed a co-op work experience placement at Senator Reid Elementary and those two weeks were incredible. In my work as a school and community volunteer, I coordinated many seasonal youth camps, field trips, and events, but there is something special about teaching students in a school. Since kindergarten, there have been many caring teachers along the way who supported me both academically and personally. While this may sound strange coming from someone who is in a business program, I can’t imagine a life more rewarding than being an educator. My dad is a teacher, and I know it’s not an easy job, but I’m so glad that we have thousands of amazing teachers in Surrey schools helping students reach for their dreams.

I’m extremely grateful to be a recipient of this award, and would like to thank the STA for supporting me in my future endeavours. I’m currently enrolled in the Science One program at UBC, exploring my interests in many science fields. With my current experiences in university, I plan on pursuing a combined degree in Biochemistry and Mathematics, or taking the Physics/ Astronomy route. With this, the end goal is a career in medicine – given my passion for many areas of research, I want to pursue the educational path that will best help me get there. With the long road that comes ahead, I recognize the hard work that will follow, and am grateful to receive this scholarship as it will help decrease stress regarding the financial aspect of my education. Thanks once again for the award!

My name is Jack Peters and I feel fortunate to have been chosen for the STA scholarship. I have been influenced by the many teachers I had as mentors over the years at Panorama Park Elementary and Panorama Ridge Secondary School. I am grateful that these teachers went out of their way to challenge me, and to provide me and my friends with opportunities to learn in unique ways. I am always inspired by the time and energy teachers spend outside of school hours volunteering as coaches and sponsoring clubs so that students can have an enriched experience throughout their education. This taught me the importance of giving back to the community, which I plan to continue to do throughout my life.

I am currently taking the Sustainable Energy Engineering Program at Simon Fraser University. The transition to this program from high school was made easier because of the experiences my teachers gave me, including allowing me to work with others on challenging problems, and teaching me to overcome roadblocks along the way. My favourite experiences so far have been working in a group of like-minded students on intricate problems. We can book a study room, and all contribute our ideas on a whiteboard, which is exactly what I had hoped university would be like.

Once again, I would like to thank the STA for choosing me as a recipient of the STA scholarship this year. This money will go directly to helping me further my education, allowing me to continue to explore my passion for working in a team that shares the goal of making our world a better place.

Thank you so much for this bursary, as it will assist in my academic goals extensively. Music is an incredibly time consuming hobby, and now to make it into a career for myself is an opportunity I will forever be grateful for. The Foundations of Music Therapy Studies is an incredibly intense program, and it has been tough to keep up with all my responsibilities. However, this bursary will be an incredible help in ensuring that finances will not be what will get in the way of pursuing my dreams. I thank the Awards Committee and the Surrey Teachers Association with the highest feelings of gratitude for supporting my academic journey.

My name is Kai O’Donnell and I am in my first year studying Kinesiology at McGill University in Montreal.

Firstly, I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to the STA for awarding me this bursary. I am incredibly thankful to the committee for recognizing my accomplishments and hard-work throughout high school, as well as to my teachers who encouraged and supported me throughout my education.

I am particularly grateful to my science teachers, who opened me up to the subjects of chemistry and anatomy. My enthusiasm for the sciences alongside my passion for sports have led me to consider physical therapy and health sciences as potential career paths. The kinesiology undergraduate program at McGill is unique in that it is a Bachelors of Science, and so my learning is done through a scientific lens, which is a perfect fit for my academic interests. While I’m still exploring my future career options, I know I want to apply my post-secondary studies to a career that has a meaningful impact on the well-being of others; this could lead to exploring a career as a chiropractor, pursuing medical school for a doctorate, or specializing as a sports therapist.

Once again, I cannot thank the STA enough for their bursary. It will allow me to fully dedicate my time to studies, and I am deeply honoured to be selected.

I’m so thrilled to have been selected as one of the bursary recipients! Here is my message and I have attached my graduation photo.

I am extremely grateful to have been chosen as one of the recipients of the Surrey Teacher’s Association Bursary. My first semester at UBC has been amazing, and I feel so thankful to have the support of the STA to further my studies in the coming years. I have been taking my first year of university to explore a wide array of subjects, and so far, I have been very engaged with all of my courses. My goal for the future is to find an area that I am passionate about, whether it’s languages, social justice or psychology and apply my skills in the workforce to help others. I would like to thank my parents for their endless support and the STA for believing in my goals.

My name is Ronan Sexton, I am a 1st year student in the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia. I am extremely grateful and honoured to be a recipient of this Scholarship. I’d like to thank the Surrey Teachers’ Association for this award and recognizing outstanding academic achievement. I have learned so much already during my first semester of University. UBC is an amazing school, full of opportunity. This scholarship will aid my academic journey and will fuel me to strive for greater achievement. I would also like to thank my family, friends, and teachers who helped me earn this award. Thank you STA for this generous award and for believing in my future.

My Name is Brendan Tong. I am a 1^st year student at the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary. Along with pursuing a commerce degree, I am also playing on the U of C Varsity baseball team. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Surrey Teachers Association and the members of the scholarship committee for selecting me among many other deserving applicants.  I would like to thank all my teachers at Burnaby Mountain Secondary and Seaforth Elementary for their endless support and guidance throughout the years. I also want to thank my coaches and my parents for helping me prepare for post-secondary life. The financial support of the STA bursary will help me focus on my studies and continue to play baseball at the post-secondary level.

My name is Nausheen Dhanda and I am extremely grateful for being awarded the honour to be one of the receipts of this scholarship. Thank you so much to the scholarship committee for this opportunity. I will be attending UBC to pursue a bachelors of science this coming fall but I will also be continuing my work in the community as a mentor to younger students. As the first to attend university in my family I am looking forward to exploring the new opportunities available at a post-secondary level.

I would like to thank each and every one of my teachers and mentors for their tireless work in teaching me to be the best leader and community member I could be. My leadership teachers at Tamanawis Secondary have played a huge role in bringing me to where I am today. Once again thank you to the STA for this scholarship!

I am honoured to be the recipient of the Jennifer wage memorial scholarship. This scholarship will undoubtedly ease some of the financial stress of going into university. I am going into the faculty of education at SFU this fall, and this scholarship will set me up for success. I am so very excited to become a teacher, and this scholarship will be a stepping stone in getting there. I am so grateful to the STA for providing scholarships that help students pursuing post secondary, and for encouraging social justice work in the surrey school district.

As a first-generation immigrant who moved to Canada as an infant, I witnessed firsthand the challenges my parents faced as they adjusted to and completely restarted their lives in this new country. As they had no prior knowledge of the English language and were starting from the ground up, providing for me and my brother was an intense struggle, especially during the early years. It was thanks to their unwavering dedication to giving us opportunities they never had and their relentless efforts to ensure a brighter future for us that I have been able to achieve all that I have so far.

Being the amazing parents that they are, my mother and father desperately wished to be able to send me to a prestigious post-secondary to pursue my goals and education. To the immense delight of both my parents and myself, I was accepted into UBC’s Faculty of Applied Science, however, the problem lies in the fact that paying off even one year of tuition out of pocket would financially cripple my family. Although this scholarship does not cover it completely, it provides the financial relief that gives me the confidence to pursue my academic aspirations, which I am grateful for.

Before I bring everything to a close, I would also like to thank the people of the Surrey Teacher’s Association who deemed me worthy of this scholarship. Receiving this recognition makes me feel that my efforts in social justice have been acknowledged and validated, motivating me even more to continue striving for positive change in my community.

I am very grateful for this scholarship, it’s a beacon of hope and a testament to the value of hard work and perseverance. It opens doors that might have otherwise remained closed.

This scholarship is an honour to receive and takes pressure off my parents and grandma who as immigrants have been working numerous jobs all their life to support myself and my brother. It will help me fully concentrate on my studies without the added stress of worrying about how to afford tuition fees, books, or other educational expenses. This freedom allows me to immerse myself in my field of study and engage in volunteering that will enhance my learning experience.
This scholarship also represents a vote of confidence in my potential to make a difference in my chosen field. It encourages me to aim higher, to set ambitious goals, and to pursue them with determination.

In terms of achieving my academic aspirations, this scholarship enables me to access opportunities that will enhance my learning. It will help me in my journey, with a career path in medicine or aerospace. With this support, I am confident that I can achieve my academic aspirations and contribute meaningfully to the world around me. I hope to make a difference in this world and help others through my work.

I am profoundly grateful to the Surrey Teacher’s Association for deeming me worthy of one of their esteemed Jennifer Wadge Memorial Social Justice Awards. The significance of this scholarship in my life is indescribable, and it will play a pivotal role in fulfilling my career aspirations. Enrolling in the Faculty of Science and Horticulture at Kwantlen Polytechnic University will mark the beginning of my long journey toward a future in medicine. Without this scholarship, navigating the dual challenges of academics and finances would have been arduous. 

Being part of my school’s volunteering team, Mustang Justice, has afforded me the opportunity to delve into societal injustices and advocate for genuine causes. The experience of serving my community has deepened my understanding of the pain and suffering faced by others. 

I am especially grateful to my science teachers, who ignited my passion for anatomy and chemistry, the foundational pillars of my future studies at university. I also extend my heartfelt thanks to my parents and all my other teachers who have supported and guided me throughout my school journey. Once again, I would like to thank the STA scholarship committee for choosing me as one of their social justice award recipients this year. This grant will inspire me to work harder to value this money efficiently, which will further enable me to focus on my passion for academics. I am deeply honored to be chosen as part of this.