4 Cowichan News Leader Pictorial
Presenting Cowichan Grads to Watch Clockwise from left: Shawnigan Lake School graduates Elizabeth Adams and Emily Alexander lead the Class of 2012 during Closing Day Ceremonies on June 23; Cowichan Secondary graduates Tanner Dobson and David Kueber share a moment viewing their class photo June 28; Duncan Christian graduates Brandon Chang and Alissa Lennox perform Green Day’s Good Riddance (Time of Your
SPOTLIGHT
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Life) June 28; Brentwood College School’s Head Prefect Ian MacDonald addresses his class June 23; Queen Margaret’s School Head Girl Emilie Carpentier accepts her diploma June 15; Chemainus graduates Nat Almond, Kyle Hughes, and Austin Prosser get their photo taken June 15; Frances Kelsey grad Curtis Life delivers the valedictory address June 26. — photos by Andrew Leong
Grads to watch
Diverse grads make judging tough for 35 district scholarships Grads to Watch: Valley students prepare elaborate presentations for chance to earn $1,000 scholarship Krista Siefken
News Leader Pictorial
Y
ou can’t bribe the judges with cash for a district scholarship, but Chemainus Secondary graduate Dylan Taylor may have found a more effective means of tipping the odds
in his favour. “I’m going to make quesadillas for the judges,” he says as he sets up his table of tortillas, cheese and other ingredients. Every year in Cowichan, Grade 12 students such as Taylor come up with elaborate presentations highlighting their accomplishments as they vie for one of about 30 scholarships from School District 79.
Each scholarship is worth $1,000. “We look at how their presentations support their goals for post-secondary education, and we look at the work they’ve done in those areas in the classroom,” explains Cathy Schmidt, who was among the judges at Chemainus Secondary School at the end of May. “This is not an academic scholarship. This is applied skills, second languages, ¿ne arts and sports. So we look at the classes they’ve taken to support those four things, and look at the whole package to see how it supports what the students want to do.” Jennifer Stanley was a likely candidate, highlighting her artistic abilities and her graphic design studies that start at Vancouver Island University in September. The comic book fanatic had plenty of drawings and even a clay model of Super Mario Bros. sidekick, Toad, to show off for the judges. Schmidt said the students’ diverse talents make it tough to choose just 35 for a scholarship. “The quality of the presentations is unbeliev-
able at every school,” she said. “It’s beyond tough, and the kids this year were really well prepared.”
District scholarship winners Jeremy Bayley, Chemainus Haley Lackie, Chemainus Daniella Loscerbo, Chemainus Sophie Cutt, Cowichan Ilia Fernandez, Cowichan Aaron Fisher, Cowichan Nicole Hartley, Cowichan Lauren James, Cowichan Alexandra Kellar, Cowichan Mitchell Knippelberg, Cowichan Kieran Lauridsen, Cowichan Angelina Rice-Louis, Cowichan Krista Schmidt, Cowichan Christina Scholten, Cowichan Nikole Simons, Cowichan
“Although it’s a lot of stress, at times,” added Taylor of the presentation process, “it’s a good way of doing it.” Patrick Warren, Cowichan Colby Marshall, CVOLC Breanna Mawson, CVOLC Holly Robins, CVOLC Devon Sernoski, CVOLC Jacob Slipp, CVOLC Serafina Appel, Frances Kelsey Leigh Borrett, Frances Kelsey Emily Christensen, Frances Kelsey Emily Collis, Frances Kelsey Lillian Currie, Frances Kelsey Danica Entzminger, Frances Kelsey Colin Knight, Frances Kelsey Talietha Massey, Frances Kelsey Katiemarie Olfert, Frances Kelsey Megan Wright, Frances Kelsey Timothy Carlow, Lake Cowichan Jordan Fraser, Lake Cowichan
Duncan
Congratulations to All
2012 GRADS!