Thirteen graduating Richmond students have received a prestigious Beedie scholarship this year.
A total of 280 students from across the province will receive financial assistance from the Beedie Luminaries Foundation to study at post-secondary institutions with a record total of $12 million in scholarships is being awarded this year through the foundation.
RC Palmer student Anas Deqani, who is receiving a $44,000 scholarship, said this will be life-changing and will help him pursue a career in teaching.
"I'm really happy and I feel so lucky to be able to receive something like this," Deqani told the Richmond News.
The graduating student said he was in the middle of a school event when he received the phone call, which started off sounding like a "rejection call" rather than a congratulatory message.
"They were talking about how many amazing students had applied, and they had difficulty choosing the scholarship winners, at which point I thought 'Ah, I didn't get it,'" explained Deqani.
"Then the person on the phone paused, followed by a 'Congratulations, you got the scholarship!'
"It was a roller-coaster of emotions."
He told the Richmond News he was "honestly really shocked" that he cried.
Deqani plans to study at Langara, majoring in English, before transferring to UBC to go into teaching.
When asked what made him choose this career path, he said his five years in high school have been "really impactful" because of his teachers.
"I found myself really connected to my teachers and realized that, not just for me, but for a lot of people, teachers really shape the person you become, especially when you're younger," he said.
"I think it's something that is so impactful in the long run for everyone. I'm super grateful to have been given the scholarship."
The Beedie Luminaries, founded by B.C. philanthropist Ryan Beedie, started the annual Soaring Higher in Education (SHINE) scholarship in 2019 to help Grade 12 students financially in their post-secondary studies.
Scholarships are valued up to $44,000 for undergraduate studies, $50,000 for graduate studies and $20,000 for skilled trades.
In addition, each recipient has access to mentors, student success advising, workshops and peer support through the Beedie Luminaries online community.
For more information about Beedie Luminaries, click here.
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