Provincial Examination Scholarships have been granted to three, 2013 graduates of Peter Skene Ogden Secondary School.
Tahsis Jensen, Jill Matlock and Ben Mowbray were each chosen to receive the $1,000 scholarship for their outstanding academic achievements, as evidenced in their individual exam results.
The suite of five provincial exams covered three grade levels and included English 10, science 10, foundations and pre-calculus 10, social studies 11 and English 12.
These three local students ranked among the top 5,000 scores across the province earned by 2013 grads.
All three had earned other scholarships last spring and moved on to enter university last fall. None were expecting this sudden windfall, acknowledging their excellent test scores.
Jensen says she was very pleased, but certainly surprised by the news that she had been awarded the bursary.
“It seemed almost too late to find out – I’d been in university for three months by then.
“I wasn’t even aware it was a scholarship to be won. I was a little confused.”
The young woman from Forest Grove currently attends University of Victoria (UVic) studying Theatre, and is working toward a potential double-major in Women’s Studies.
Jensen says she was home-schooled from Grades 6-11, but rather than characterizing this as a particular accomplishment in achieving these grades, she points to her family’s encouragement.
“I had a strong basis of support here at home. Everything except the Grade 12 English exam was done in home schooling.”
Matlock also attends UVic where she is studying general sciences, including biology, chemistry, physics and others.
While she had earned other scholarships last spring, Matlock says she was quite stunned to hear she had won, and unsure what it was all about.
“It was kind of vague what they told the school … so it wasn’t until we got the letter in the mail that I fully understood what it was. So, that was a very nice surprise. I was home for Christmas when we got it.”
While the 108 Mile Ranch resident had heard of money sometimes granted to students ranking high on provincial exams, she notes “it wasn’t even on my radar” that she might receive one. She adds the money will be put to good use against her tuition expenses.
Among other awards upon her graduation, Matlock also received the prestigious Governor General’s Bronze Medal for her outstanding academic achievements.
Mowbray attends University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) where he is studying environmental science, and also hails from 108 Mile Ranch.
Since he was also well into the fall semester before being notified, Mowbray says he had forgotten about any outstanding award programs.
“It was definitely a surprise for me. I’d heard they sometimes give out awards and scholarships for the provincial marks, so I studied really hard and just did my best, and I guess it paid off. It was a nice surprise.”
One of the two Grad 2013 valedictorians at PSO, Ben’s Grade 11 marks earned him the esteemed UNBC Entrance Scholar’s Award, which covers his tuition for four years.
It was “rewarding” to receive the recent scholarship for his hard work, he says, adding it will be put toward his books and living expenses.
“There are plenty of costs to be covered out there.”
