Fanshawe students win national and regional awards
Each banking funds in the thousands, two first-year Fanshawe students were recently awarded scholarships from The Garfield Weston Merit Scholarship for Colleges Program.
One of only 24 students on the national level to win the scholarship and the first to ever do so from Fanshawe, 17-year-old Danielle O'Dea was awarded $8,000 to study Police Foundations, with an additional $3,500 traveling expense that is to be used for charitable expenditures.
“It's an honour to win this,” said O'Dea, who came to Fanshawe from Strathroy.
One of 18 students on the regional level, Burlington-native Braden Occomore, 19, who just entered the Business Marketing program at Fanshawe, was awarded $4,000.
O'Dea and Occomore were also awarded with tuition waivers.
Established in 1998 and giving $1.5 million to Canadian college-bound students just this year alone, The Garfield Weston Merit Scholarships are annually awarded to “talented students who show promise of leadership, a strong dedication to their field of study and a commitment to their communities.”
Hard work and dedication to her community paid off for O'Dea, who spent her four-years in high school on the honour roll and volunteering for Big Sisters. She was also on the Healthy School Committee, which addressed controversial problems like student bullying and alcohol abuse with workshops and support.
On top of volunteering, O'Dea also worked two part-time jobs. Her first job was with the Middlesex-London Health Unit as peer leader to organize non-smoking events and the second at the Flying J.
Occomore served as chair of the Burlington Mayor's Youth Advisory Committee, which successfully worked to get a youth centre built in his community during his involvement. An avid lover of music, he was also section leader of his high school's drum-line and the Burlington Teen Tour Band, which traveled extensively throughout Europe and Canada.
“These college students are demonstrating the qualities our future leaders need to have for our country to thrive”, says Franca Gucciardi, Executive Director of the Canadian Merit Scholarship Foundation, which administers the awards on behalf of The W. Garfield Weston Foundation. “I am impressed with the integrity, initiative and commitment to volunteerism demonstrated by this year's class.
Part of O'Dea's award includes a sum of money for traveling, which she said would go toward volunteer experience over-seas.
“I really want to go to Africa or a third-world country,” said O'Dea, who also plans on attending University for Criminology when finished at Fanshawe.
According to the W. Garfield Weston Foundation, their selection process is the most intensive and personalized in the country. Both O'Dea and Occomore were interviewed over a weekend in Toronto, including one-on-one with board members, academic leaders and volunteers and panel interviews.
One of only 24 students on the national level to win the scholarship and the first to ever do so from Fanshawe, 17-year-old Danielle O'Dea was awarded $8,000 to study Police Foundations, with an additional $3,500 traveling expense that is to be used for charitable expenditures.
“It's an honour to win this,” said O'Dea, who came to Fanshawe from Strathroy.
One of 18 students on the regional level, Burlington-native Braden Occomore, 19, who just entered the Business Marketing program at Fanshawe, was awarded $4,000.
O'Dea and Occomore were also awarded with tuition waivers.
Established in 1998 and giving $1.5 million to Canadian college-bound students just this year alone, The Garfield Weston Merit Scholarships are annually awarded to “talented students who show promise of leadership, a strong dedication to their field of study and a commitment to their communities.”
Hard work and dedication to her community paid off for O'Dea, who spent her four-years in high school on the honour roll and volunteering for Big Sisters. She was also on the Healthy School Committee, which addressed controversial problems like student bullying and alcohol abuse with workshops and support.
On top of volunteering, O'Dea also worked two part-time jobs. Her first job was with the Middlesex-London Health Unit as peer leader to organize non-smoking events and the second at the Flying J.
Occomore served as chair of the Burlington Mayor's Youth Advisory Committee, which successfully worked to get a youth centre built in his community during his involvement. An avid lover of music, he was also section leader of his high school's drum-line and the Burlington Teen Tour Band, which traveled extensively throughout Europe and Canada.
“These college students are demonstrating the qualities our future leaders need to have for our country to thrive”, says Franca Gucciardi, Executive Director of the Canadian Merit Scholarship Foundation, which administers the awards on behalf of The W. Garfield Weston Foundation. “I am impressed with the integrity, initiative and commitment to volunteerism demonstrated by this year's class.
Part of O'Dea's award includes a sum of money for traveling, which she said would go toward volunteer experience over-seas.
“I really want to go to Africa or a third-world country,” said O'Dea, who also plans on attending University for Criminology when finished at Fanshawe.
According to the W. Garfield Weston Foundation, their selection process is the most intensive and personalized in the country. Both O'Dea and Occomore were interviewed over a weekend in Toronto, including one-on-one with board members, academic leaders and volunteers and panel interviews.
