Award Recipients

My name is Soheyla Kaur Sodhi and I am a seventeen-year-old first year Biological Sciences student at Simon Fraser University. I am an avid fan of hockey, basketball, Formula 1 Racing, and martial arts. I have been playing violin and piano for more than thirteen years, I have my black belt in Taekwondo, and I also enjoy cooking, baking, and reading. Additionally, my passion for being involved in leadership roles and taking the initiative to make a difference in my community inspired me to be involved in the “Globalizers” philanthropy club at my school, and to start my own mentorship organization for girls called Big and Little Sisters. I hope to go to medical school to become a surgeon.

I first gained interest in the medical field in the beginning of grade eleven while taking Anatomy and Physiology 12. I remember being fascinated by the way the human body is made up of numerous systems that all must work together to keep us alive, and how something seemingly small such as the absence of cell inhibitors often results in the growth of tumors. Furthermore, I am interested in the recent advancements in medical technology such as CRISPR gene editing which can allow us to modify the human genome to prevent certain diseases and conditions before they become prevalent.

The positive experiences and opportunities that I have had have shown me the importance of being an active citizen who gives back to make one’s community a better place. I am incredibly grateful to have received the STA Scholarship this year, as it will help fund my schooling so that I can pursue my career goals. As I begin my journey to complete a Bachelor of Science degree in university and go on to medical school to become a surgeon, I hope to take my passions for learning about the human body and being a community leader to make my community a better place through my work in the future as a surgeon.

It is an honour to have been chosen as a recipient of the STA scholarship.

I am currently a enrolled in the Chemistry program at Simon Fraser University and plan on pursuing a joint major with Molecular Biology and Biochemistry. Despite its difficulty, I have always been fascinated by the world of science, and how it behaves in our day to day lives. I have especially enjoyed working in labs, and hope to one day pursue a research related career.

Again, thank you for this scholarship. It has shown me that my efforts have not gone to waste. I know that I have many years of hard work ahead of me, and this scholarship will allow me to continue to achieve my goals.

First, I would like to sincerely thank the STA for choosing me as a recipient of this year’s scholarship. I am honoured and deeply grateful.

I am in my first year at Trinity Western University, doing my undergraduate degree in nursing. I aim to give generously to this dire career in the neonatal intensive care unit, doing as Trinity has taught me to “think deeply, act justly, and care generously” (TWU, 2021, p.1) for my patients. I wish to return to school for a masters degree to become a nurse practitioner, continuing to work in the heart of health care.

As a nursing student, taking a 120% course load, receiving this scholarship is supportive and gives me a sense of relief in that I can focus on my studies and clinical experiences, rather than worrying about funding my education.

Again, I would like to reiterate my deep appreciation for the STA in choosing me as a recipient this year and for putting their confidence in my goals. I am excited to enter this charitable workforce and provide knowledge-based practice the best I can.

My name is Sailesh Sharma and I am studying Communications at SFU this year.  It has been quite the adjustment entering university, but I am figuring it out day by day.  I currently have classes at both the downtown and main campuses and I use public transit to access them both.  In terms of a future goal or career, I am still searching.  One of the reasons for choosing SFU was the opportunity to explore courses from different faculties without having to declare a major right away.  The job market is always changing and new jobs are being invented daily.  I hope to get a well-rounded education that will help me in that dynamic job market.  Aside from the schooling, I still love to keep active with basketball and my new passion- Dragon boat racing.  I have joined a few clubs at SFU and look forward to joining more.  I continue to volunteer, and this Fall, I am helping with my old high school team.  I feel very grateful for this scholarship and would like to thank the Surrey Teachers’ Association.  I will be using the funds towards tuition for my next semester.  In our current situation of extreme inflation, this scholarship came at a very good time. One day, the hope is to pay this opportunity forward.

I am a first year student at UBC working towards a Bachelor of Science. I plan on specializing in Environmental Sciences next year as I intend to pursue a career in environmental sustainability and aspire to contribute to the conservation and protection of our planet. I am very grateful for this scholarship as it eases my financial stress, allowing me to focus more on my studies and pursue my goals in making a difference in this world. I would also like to extend a thank you to all the teachers that have helped me get to where I am today. I am honoured to be named this years’ 2022 Surrey Teachers’ Association Scholar.

My name is Gurleen Deol, and I am a first-year student at the Sauder School of Business. I would like to thank you for providing me with this bursary and the opportunities it will afford me.

I feel very grateful to have been awarded the STA bursary as it recognizes my academic and personal achievements throughout my high school career. I look forward to pursuing my Bachelor of Commerce at UBC with a minor in economics and strive to become an entrepreneur in the near future.

I am really excited to receive this bursary!   It will help me to achieve my goals of doing well at university, and playing soccer. I am pursuing a degree in kinesiology and hope to apply that to some sort of physical medicine specialty like Chiropractics or Physiotherapy.  I have just begun my studies in Kinesiology at the University of the Fraser Valley this fall.  So far, so good!  This bursary money will help me a lot as things have turned out to be more expensive than I anticipated, even though I did my estimates carefully.  It will allow me to spend more time studying, and keep my marks up.

Also, I play soccer at a high level, and have just finished my first season with the University of the Fraser Valley soccer team.  This bursary will allow me more time to continue my training for soccer, and hopefully reach my goal of playing for the National team one day.  Playing for a university team requires considerable travel time.  Our team makes regular visits to various universities in Western Canada, going as far east as Saskatchewan, making it that much more difficult for me to work at a job.

Thank you again so much for this generous gift!

I am very grateful and would like to thank the STA for selecting me as a recipient of this scholarship. Currently I am enrolled at the University of Victoria where I am studying history. I plan on using this scholarship to further fund my education. A sincere thank you to the STA committee for giving me this scholarship, to which I am very appreciative of.

I would like to express my gratitude to the Surrey Teachers’ Association for selecting me as a recipient of the bursary award. I have always wanted to be a commercial airline pilot, with my love for aviation starting at a young age going to the airport with my dad to watch planes at YVR. I identified the Commercial Aviation Management Program at Western University as the best path to achieve my goal and was fortunate to be accepted. I recognize the generosity of this award and I will do my part to ensure that the money does not go to waste by being fully prepared to embrace my studies.

Many of the graduates from the Western Aviation Program start their flying career working for either air ambulance services or the blood donor bank. I would very much like to start my career this way, as it would be my small way of making a positive contribution to society. Furthermore, one day, years from now, if I am fortunate enough to be earning a good salary as a commercial airline pilot, it would mean a lot to me if I could pay it forward by contributing to a scholarship fund to help a future aspiring pilot that is in the same position as me today.

My name is Madeleine Wilson I am studying at the University of Northern British Columbia in Prince George. After university my career goal is to become a doctor. Currently I am working towards a bachelor degree of health science in biomedical studies. I have joined the health science student association.This club allows me to learn about various career opportunities in the health science field and to help organise fundraisers. During the month of October, we held a competition among the teachers to see who could raise the most money for breast cancer research. To stay mentally and physically healthy, I joined a fitness centre and an intramural soccer team. I truly appreciate the bursary because it is very isolated here, making it difficult to find safe transportation to town in order to find work. This bursary will help me with the cost of books and tuition. Thank you so much for your consideration on behalf of myself and my family.

I am writing to express my utmost gratitude for being selected as a recipient of the STA Bursary. As a grade 12 student at Semiahmoo Secondary, I cannot express how much this award means to me. It will be a tremendous help in paying for my tuition and required supplies for my Plumbing and Piping Trades Foundation program at Camosun College.

I am thrilled to have the opportunity to gain experience in several trades through this program and to further my education in a specific area of strength. This bursary has given me the chance to pursue my dreams and work towards achieving my goal of obtaining my red seal in a plumbing and piping trade.

This summer I am grateful for the opportunity to work as a plumber’s assistant which will give me a head start in my field. I am excited to begin this new chapter in my life, and I could not have done it without the generous support of the STA Bursary.

Thank you once again for this incredible opportunity. I am honored to have been chosen as a recipient of this award, and I promise to make the most of it.

I plan to attend UBC in the fall, and will be working towards a Bachelor of Arts degree. My interests vary between the creative arts (music, singing, songwriting) and the social sciences (political studies, environmental studies). One day I’d love to become a lawyer focusing on environmental issues, or possibly a music therapist. Wherever my career leads me, I know I will always make time for the causes I am passionate about. This scholarship means the world to me, as it will significantly ease the financial stress of attending post secondary, leaving more time for my community work. It is a great honour for me to be the recipient of this award that acknowledges young people working for sustainable change in their communities.

I am so thankful for this opportunity, and am honoured to accept this award.