With the 2021 school year underway, Coast Capital is celebrating 44 youth across the province who have been awarded the financial co-operative’s annual Standing Tall Education Awards.
This unique awards program aims to support students across the province in their pursuit of post-secondary education and help ensure these opportunities are more accessible to youth from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds and racialized communities. The Standing Tall Education Awards recognize resilient youth who have risen up against the odds and demonstrated an incredible commitment to continuing their education, instead of solely recognizing academic performance.
Faith Mawhorter is a resident of Courtenay and a recent graduate of Glacier View Secondary. An exceptional student, Faith overcame the struggles of her challenging upbringing with determination and a focus on her education. Music has also been a constant source of comfort to her and she dreams of creating music that will help others through hard times. Faith plans to move to Victoria to study music at Camosun College.
“This award is an amazing opportunity for students who have faced significant hardship throughout their studies to receive support in achieving their post-secondary education goals,” said Mawhorter. “My family is not able to provide financial support, so this award will go a long way towards helping to limit my student loans and allow me to focus on my studies. I’ve come so far already and am so grateful to Coast Capital for helping me to continue pursuing my dreams.”
Now into its 17th year, the initiative is part of Coast Capital’s wider focus on breaking down barriers, unlocking financial opportunities, and building better futures for young Canadians. Each $3,500 prize fund makes the increasing cost of tuition and living expenses more manageable for young people who may not have access to funding through traditional sources such as parents or loan programs.
Since its establishment in 2004, the program has supported almost 1,000 students to fund their post-secondary studies with an investment of over $2.7 million.
“Every year, we are inspired by our award winners, each of whom show resilience in the face of significant challenges,” said Maureen Young, director of Coast Capital’s social purpose office. “We believe that accessing a post-secondary shouldn’t be a dream, but a reality for anyone looking to build a better future for themselves and their communities. The Coast Capital Education Awards program aims to remove one more obstacle on the path to achieving their real goals. Congratulations to all our 2021 Education Award winners, we wish you success, happiness, and a bright future.”
For more information on the program, visit https://bit.ly/3wwNqgo