Making an Impact
Story appeared in the 2015 issue of QMS Connections Magazine.
BY LEANNE SCHULTZ, OPERATIONS & HR MANAGER
Grade 12 student Tara Cooper was nominated for a Schulich Leader Scholarship. Launched in 2012, this $100 million program funds only 50 undergraduate scholarships each year, allowing promising students up to $80,000 to pursue their dreams and become innovation leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Tara was selected by Dalhousie University as their 2015 Schulich Award winner for Engineering.
“I will continue to find ways of helping others using the education that I am privileged to have through agencies such as Engineers Without Borders. ”
Carrie Craig, Vice Principal Student Life, notes that “As a top academic stu-dent who has achieved excellence in all science courses she has taken, and through her willingness and drive to educate our student body and inspire younger students in the field of science, Tara is a role model in our school and within our community.”
Here is an excerpt from Tara’s nomination application essay, which high-lights some of the ways she has worked to make a positive impact in the world during her time at QMS:
“When I was a little girl, I accompanied my father (a surgeon) to work and observed how he alleviated the pain and suffering of his patients. From that moment, I was convinced that I would help people in whatever little way I could, as long as I was making a difference in their lives.
I have taken this aspiration into every part of my life. After watching a documentary about the horrible implications of the technology on economies, health and biodiversity, I started a project with the help of my Grade 11 biology teacher to promote sustainability without GMOs. I coaxed my entire senior school to sign a petition which was to be presented to the MP of our community forbid-ding Monsanto from entering the Cowichan Valley. In addition to this, I created a functioning greenhouse featuring garden beds provided by donations to grow food locally for the Cowichan Valley Food Bank, sup-plying them with fresh produce. This interest of mine expanded into my volunteer efforts in transforming a rough area of my town into a com-munity Urban Food Forest.
Education is one of the greatest gifts one could be given, but unfortunately it is often taken for granted. Combining my desire to help others and love for my education, I decided that I wanted to share my knowledge. In this way, I decided to start volunteering through a community project called Kids Teach Kids, educating the youth of our region on the dangers associated with online activity. The thought of potentially saving one child from committing suicide be-cause of an uninformed decision was my motivation behind the project.
Going into university presents many new opportunities for me to engage with a much larger community. During a tour of the engineering building at the University of Victoria, I spoke with a group of students using their skills to build a nanosatellite to send into orbit later that month. The thought of being able to do the same thing thrilled me and I aspire to achieve something similar when I enter university. I will continue to find ways of helping others using the education that I am privileged to have through agencies such as Engineers Without Borders. My leadership will not be limited to my High School years. My continuing motivation and determination to achieve my dreams and guide others to achieve theirs is what will make me a good Schulich Leader.”