Twenty-two Burnaby high school grads have been awarded up to $40,000 each to help pay for their post-secondary studies, thanks to Burnaby-born developer Ryan Beedie and his Beedie Luminaries scholarship program.
The scholarships are aimed at giving students who have faced life challenge a financial leg up paying for university and other post-secondary education.
“Year after year, I am amazed and inspired by the sheer number of bright, driven and highly engaged students who apply to the Beedie Luminaries program and the promise that they show,” Beedie said in a press release.
The Beedie Luminaries program handed out more money this year than ever before: $6.2 million to 157 students across the province.
This year’s Grade 12 scholarship winners come from 81 high schools in 30 communities, with 38 per cent being the first in their immediate family to pursue post-secondary education and 55 per cent coming from single-parent or legal guardian families.
Along with scholarships of up to $40,000 per student, recipients are also paired with mentors and offered paid work opportunities, Stay on Track student support, invitations to special events and access to the Beedie Luminaries online community.
Beedie Luminaries launched on Nov. 13, 2018, with a $50-million donation from Beedie that coincided with his 50th birthday.
To date, the program has awarded 487 scholarships to students across the province.
Students who are interested in applying to be part of next year’s cohort are encouraged to follow Beedie Luminaries on social media or visit beedieluminaries.ca.
The application period for the 2023 cohort will open in the fall.
Winners at Burnaby schools this year:
- Megan Mugford, Burnaby Mountain
- Silin Ali, Cariboo Hill
- Maelle McCallum, Burnaby Mountain
- Masihullah Mohammad Rafi, Burnaby Mountain
- Ozair Siddiqui, Moscrop
- Marlaina Korsa, Burnaby Central
- Insha Insha, Burnaby Mountain
- Anita Mirshami, Burnaby North
- Richard Zou, Burnaby North
- Anson Bao, Burnaby North
- Ryan Leung, Byrne Creek
- Damion Tran, Moscrop
- Matthew Fung, Moscrop
- Maggie Pugosa, St. Thomas More Collegiate
- Saudah Gazi, Burnaby South
- Samantha Harris, Cariboo Hill
- Immanuel Fasan, Moscrop
- Kimberley Lowe, Moscrop
Winners from Burnaby attending schools outside the city:
- Jaida Weber, Notre Dame Regional Secondary School
- Alicia Lay, Killarney
- Bingjing (Clarissa) Tang, New Westminster
- Jin Peng Zhou, Windermere Community Secondary
