Fostering young leaders through education

Connecting her passion of nature therapy to education, Wilderness School alumna Serenity Naeco says there was a defining moment for her future aspirations that she discovered on a trip to Tofino. When her cohort met up with Power To Be Adaptive Recreation participants on a surf trip, she was able to demonstrate her knowledge about the wild. It was then that the 18-year-old says she discovered just how deep her passion for connecting people to nature ran.

“I will be working toward building on and attaining the tools and resources to work toward my career goals, studying tourism management at Thompson Rivers University,” Serenity says. “I want to explore my options in nature therapy initiatives, sort of like what Power To Be does.”

She will do that with support from the Ted Rogers Scholarship Fund. This year, 150 youth received the scholarships, with Serenity and fellow Wilderness School alumnus Shaheen Rabie, 19, each receiving $10,000 distributed over the next four years to pursue their educational goals. The Power To Be youth were chosen based on their community service through supporting Power To Be programs, as well as in their ability to demonstrate leadership among their peers and in their community.

“This scholarship means I get to work toward doing something I am passionate about – and making that my career,” says Shaheen, who previously won a United Way Youth Now Award for volunteering. He will be attending the University of Victoria to study software engineering.

Both Rogers and Power To Be believe in the direct and positive impact that youth have on the future of their communities, and the vital role education plays in it. The Ted Rogers Scholarship Fund is ensuring youth facing economic barriers have access to post-secondary education, assisting young leaders in our community to meet their educational aspirations and live out to their full potential.

The opportunity is rooted in Ted Rogers’ legacy which began in his dedication to invest in education. It’s an investment that will benefit so many more people, says Power To Be Executive Director Tim Cormode.

“Seeing kids from Wilderness School receive this kind of support is just a stepping stone leading to so much more for the community.”

From all of us at Power To Be, thank you Ted Rogers Scholarship Fund for your commitment to supporting youth to excel in their educational pursuits.