As a new school year kicks off, Coast Capital is celebrating 44 youth across the province who have been named as recipients of its annual Standing Tall Education Awards.
And one of the winners of $3,500 is from Mission.
Keenan Sandoval is a determined student and soccer player from Mission.
Throughout high school at Mission Secondary School, Sandoval was faced with family difficulties, but continued to work diligently at achieving his goals in academics and athletics. As the new school year begins, Sandoval is combining his passions as he works towards a degree in kinesiology at the University of the Fraser Valley.
“I am so grateful that Coast Capital has honoured me with a Standing Tall Education Award,” Sandoval said in a news release. “Receiving this award means I can study with less stress about tuition costs, and allows me to concentrate on excelling in my studies and athletics.”
The awards program, established in 2004, is one-of-a-kind in its focus on recognizing resilient youth who have risen up against the odds to pursue their post-secondary education. Unlike other grant or scholarship programs, Coast Capital’s annual education awards program looks at more than academic performance to celebrate the students’ achievements beyond their GPA.
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“As a social purpose organization, Coast Capital is committed to building better futures through investing in three key areas that we strongly believe are essential to helping Canadians reach their goals and ultimately realize a better future for themselves and their families,” said Maureen Young, vice-president, social purpose, Coast Capital. “One of those areas is focused on driving equitable access to education and training as that is a significant driver in helping individuals unlock financial opportunities. We recognize that access to post-secondary education is not always within financial reach due to systemic inequalities and believe that small steps can help to move the needle. We are committed to contributing to that shift through programs like our Standing Tall Education Awards.”
For the first time in the program’s history, this year Coast Capital awarded 68 per cent of awards to IBPOC students.
Since its establishment 18 years ago, the program has supported over 1,000 students in funding their post-secondary studies with an investment of nearly $2.9 million.
@shinebox44
chris.campbell@missioncityrecord.com
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