North Delta Reporter Repost: Record number of Surrey students receive SHINE scholarships
NORTH DELTA REPORTER — Dozens of Surrey students are heading into post-secondary with scholarships worth more than just financial support after receiving SHINE scholarships through Beedie Luminaries.
The SHINE scholarships combine financial assistance with mentorship, student success advising and peer support to help students through their post-secondary journeys.
Beedie shared that this year the scholarship program had a record 51 graduating Grade 12 students from Surrey and White Rock.
École Panorama Ridge Secondary graduate Fortune Markos shared that he believes this scholarship is different from the others and that’s what made him want to apply in the first place.
“It basically aims to grow the person you are instead of focusing just on the grades,” he explained.
Markos, who plans to attend the University of Victoria this fall to study political science before pursuing law school, said receiving the scholarship brought a different feeling than one would expect. “When I got it, I was not shocked but instead I was more relieved because now I have a support system to follow me throughout my whole four-year journey coming up.”
Knowing that there will be people to lean on as he navigates university is what Markos said made this opportunity more meaningful.
As students prepare for a major transition, Markos hopes others remember that setbacks don’t define their futures. “Keep your heads up and chest up and stay focused on your goals. Do whatever it takes to get them and if you want it bad enough, you can get it.”
For Karma Gordon, the scholarship’s value extended far beyond tuitional aid.
The recent Langley Fine Arts School graduate will begin studying chemistry at Simon Fraser University this fall.
She told Peace Arch News that she was not prepared for the FaceTime call from the scholarship program as the call happened during a spirit day at her school.
“It was such a happy moment for me,” shared Gordon.”I joined the FaceTime and I was wearing a golf outfit and it was not my best look, but when I found out I was just so thrilled.”
Coming from a lower-income household, Gordon said the scholarship gives her peace of mind as she prepares for University.
She shared, however, that it was the wraparound support that convinced her to apply in the first place.
“I feel like a lot of people who get scholarships jump to what’s the biggest number, how much money can I get from each scholarship?” she said. “I feel it’s really important to look into what this scholarship can actually help me with other than financially.”
Gordon explained that each recipient of the scholarship is paired with a student success advisor and gains access to mentorship, workshops and a community of fellow scholars designed to help students succeed in post-secondary education.
“For me this scholarship was really important because I did research around it before and you get so much more,” said Gordon. “Having that support is really crucial. I really want people to look at how a scholarship can benefit you other than just financially.”
