We touched base with a few of the Standing Tall Award recipients to learn a little more about the students, their goals and what the award means to them.
Jasmine A.
Parksville, B.C.
As a standing tall recipient you have overcome many of life’s hurdles. Where does your drive and desire come from to achieve your goals?
My drive and desire to achieve my goals first came from the circumstances of my childhood-growing up in poverty and constantly watching my single mother struggle to make ends meet motivated me. This drive led me to the pursuit of higher education. I found this pursuit to be most satisfying when I concentrated my time on what was really important to me. So naturally, when I found a field that meant a lot to me, I’ve been able to use this passion to help me reach my goals and plan for my future.
What are your post-secondary goals and why have you chosen that educational path?
My post-secondary goals is to graduate a Bachelor of Arts program with a major in Psychology so I can then pursue post graduate studies and work towards a Masters of Arts in the field of Clinical Psychology. I have started my post secondary journey at Vancouver Island University where I am in my first year.
I was inspired to pursue this field because of the passion that grew from one of my volunteer my experiences as a peer counsellor. I was enlightened on the importance of mental health and shown both how gratifying counseling is for myself and how invaluable it is to people suffering with mental health issues.
What does the Standing Tall Award mean to you? How is it going to help you?
To me, the Standing Tall Award means that I am more than my circumstances. It means that despite the challenges holding me back, higher education can be a part of my future. Through the support of Coast Capital Savings, the financial burden on my shoulders has been lightened. This has allowed me to concentrate more of my time on what’s really important: my academic goals.
Natasha B.
Coquitlam, B.C.
As a Standing Tall Award recipient, you’ve overcome many of life’s hurdles. What kinds of insights have you gained overcoming these hardships that will guide your career aspirations to become a nurse?
By far the biggest insight I have gained through my life’s hurdle is that there are many people that are willing to help. I would not be where I am today without the supports of the community, my school and of course my family who I am forever thankful for. This insight has motivated me and led me toward a career path where I can give back and help people every day of my life.
I look forward to giving back and hope this insight will guide me throughout my education and beyond as well.
What advice do you have to youth who may have similar life stories to your own?
Do not give up on yourself, no matter what. If you feel like your world is crumbling around you, hold on to the things that you do have control over. Whether it’s sports, your education or other extracurricular activities, you will thank yourself once life begins to settle down and you have set yourself up for success.
What does the Standing Tall Award mean to you?
The Standing Tall Award means so much to me. I’m so thankful to be recognized in this category with other youth who have stories similar to my own. It means that my hard work and dedication through some really tough times in my life has not gone unnoticed. The Standing Tall Award, without a doubt, is playing a key role in helping me achieve my goal of becoming a nurse. I’m so thankful for the opportunities it is providing me.
Emma L.
White Rock, B.C.
As a Standing Tall Award recipient, you’ve overcome many of life’s hurdles. Do you find art to be therapeutic? What do you like the most about it?
I like that art doesn’t have to be refined, or that it can be refined. I like that art is limitless and vast, that it can be or can’t be incalculable. I once painted a canvas with bright colors, inside and outside of shapes. Someone asked me: “What is it?” It was simply however you interpreted it and whatever it wanted to be.
How do you feel art can help the community?
I am inclined to say that art might create community. I grew up part time in an artisan neighborhood in Crawford Bay, and I believe that art here has really brought together and gave birth to this quirky community.
I have also seen how art can create community through working with my current art instructor Robert Inwood. Sometime in the ‘80 s when tacky buildings were being put up around Nelson, he and a team of artists set forth to restore the heritage buildings and bring out their repressed character and historic aspect.
Art makes everything interesting, like an alchemist, bringing beauty to the mundane.
What does the Standing Tall Award mean to you? How is it going to help you?
This award has made it possible for me to work towards cultivating myself and experiment artistically without the financial burden. This will notably enrich my life for a long time and for that I am so grateful. I appreciate the considerable support I’ve received to start me on my way, especially in the pragmatic world we live in.
Thank you to Coast Capital.
Get the scoop on the Youth Get It Education Awards and how you can apply.
