Big Brothers Big Sisters of Guelph is excited to announce its first three recipients of post-secondary scholarships, as part of a new initiative aimed to support the educational ambitions of children formerly enrolled in the charity’s mentoring programs.
Natasha English, Mya Leworthy and Tristin Webb are all former youth in the Big Brothers Big Sisters programs, and they will each be receiving $2,500 scholarships for the current school year to help support their post-secondary education. Natasha is attending the Northern Institute of Technology to pursue Finishing Carpentry, Mya is enrolled in the Performing Arts program at George Brown College, and Tristin will be continuing his studies in Accounting at King’s University College.
“Big Brothers Big Sisters of Guelph is so excited to be able to provide this scholarship support for these three wonderful young adults,” said Executive Director Michael Treadgold. “We’re looking forward to hearing all about what Natasha, Mya and Tristin are able to achieve in their post-secondary work, and we’re eager to build this initiative to further support the hopes and dreams of more children in the BBBSG mentoring programs in the years ahead.”
All three successful applicants were required to submit a detailed application, describing their future plans while reflecting on their time spent with BBBSG and the role their mentors played in their lives.
“I’m looking forward to developing my woodworking skills and learning a skill that will help me build a career as well as be useful in my day-to-day life,” said Natasha in her application. “I love that this training will enable me to help others such as through volunteering with organizations like Habitat for Humanity, building homes for those in need, or helping my parents with the care and maintenance of their home. Growing up it was often stressful when something broke in our home because my parents could not afford to fix things. Being a trained carpenter will allow me to help my parents care for their home even when they cannot afford it.”
“In five years, I hope to have completed the three-year Performing Arts program, along with the partnered one-year at University of British Columbia, to graduate with my Bachelor of Fine Arts,” said Mya. “At this point I plan to start getting work anywhere I can within the theatre world, and to start building networks that will help me achieve my dream of starting my own company that would have a variety of different programs, particularly for children.”
“I’m looking forward to following my dream in financial accounting, allowing me to deal with numbers which I have always found fascinating and interesting,” said Tristin.
Historically, BBBSG’s support for youth in its mentoring programs has extended only until the child turns 17-years-old and effectively “ages out” of the program. While the relationship between “Big” and “Little” typically extends further into adulthood, the agency’s formal support for the match ends at age 17. Under this new initiative, the agency is excited to be able to extend support for youth into the young adult years, further encouraging them to reach their full potential.
Read more about the BBBSG Scholarship Program, or if you want to make a donation in support of this initiative, please contact us.