Will Karpan strives to help others.
That’s part of the reason he one day dreams of being an anesthesiologist.
“I know the anesthesiologist plays a big role in making it a better experience,” Karpan explained, adding that he has always been interested in how the human body works.
The 17-year-old Grade 12 student at Brookswood Secondary plans on studying at McGill University in Montreal next year.
And last Thursday night, Karpan won the Township of Langley’s Pete Swensson Outstanding Community Youth Award.
The award is presented to a Grade 11 or 12 student at a Langley secondary school in recognition of his or her athletic, scholastic and community efforts. Personal qualities such as leadership, work ethic and initiative play a major role in the evaluation process.
Karpan beat out eight other worthy nominees for the award.
Also nominated were: Rebecca Chadney (Langley Christian), Lauren Ens (R.E. Mountain), Sierra Gustafson (Aldergrove Community), James Hardy (Langley Secondary), Jenna Richmond (D.W. Poppy), Jaylene Stam (Credo Christian), Daniel Stead (Walnut Grove), and Alix Way (Langley Fundamental).
Marcello Moino has known Karpan all five years the student has been at Brookswood Secondary, first serving as his vice-principal and then taking over as principal three and a half years ago.
“Every teacher I talked to (before) I wrote my letter of recognition, they talked about his various strengths, but his work ethic — he motivates himself and then he takes that and motivates others,” said Moino.
“He finds that same ability to motivate others. It is not loud, it is not abrasive, it is true coaching.”
Karpan was also described as very humble and giving.
“It is going to sound cliche, but he is incredibly respectful, he is not afraid to speak his mind, but he is also quite humble. He doesn’t talk about himself,” Moino added.
As part of the leadership class at Brookswood, students are introduced to various volunteer opportunities — whether it is at a soup kitchen, homeless shelter, the Starfish backpack program or the Catz Crew Program, which helps Grade 8 students in their transition to high school.
“They get a taste of it and then it is up to them if they want to continue,” Moino said. And Karpan is the type who is always looking for extra volunteer shifts to help out as much as he can.
And this is in spite of all of his other activities.
Karpan is a competitive swimmer with the Langley Flippers Swim Club, having medalled at the provincial level, while also helping out as a volunteer coach with both the Flippers and the Bobcats school swim team. He is also a lifeguard.
Karpan used to wake daily at 5 a.m. to practice piano — he also taught for a while — and earned his Grade 9 Royal Conservatory level.
He also excels in the classroom, finishing in the top 25 per cent nationally in math contests every year since Grade 8. Karpan has been the top academic student at Brookswood in Grades 9 to 11 and the school’s top French Immersion student since Grade 8. He has averaged 97 to 99 per cent in his senior courses.
“He is truly a rare kid, one of those kids who functions at such a high level, it appears effortless,” wrote Graham Esplen in Karpan’s nomination letter.
Esplen teaches advanced placement English at Brookswood.
“His pursuit of excellence is tireless, he absorbs and applies feedback incredibly,” the letter read. “His assignments are always of superior quality, even the smallest piece.”
Karpan remains humble.
“It came naturally, but my parents also showed the way,” he said about putting in the hard work.
“It is hard to fit everything in, but it is worth it.”
Township of Langley photo
Will Karpan received the 2016 Pete Swensson Outstanding Community Youth Award.
