A Salmon Arm student’s dedication and perseverance has earned her a scholarship for her post-secondary education.
Savannah Lamb, who is graduating from Salmon Arm Secondary, has received an approximate $40,000 scholarship from the Beedie Luminaries foundation.
The foundation’s goal is to recognize Grade 12 B.C. students who have faced challenges and adversity in their lives with determination and resilience.
Lamb has been living with her grandparents for seven years and, while she said they’ve been working hard to save for her education, she didn’t want to burden them with the expense.
When Lamb found out she received the scholarship, the first person she told was her aunt, Tara Wilkie.
Wilkie, who Lamb describes as a hard-working ER nurse who has always been there for her, is Lamb’s idol.
Wilkie was not surprised to hear the news of Lamb’s scholarship win; she is proud of her niece and the person she’s become.
Lamb said the scholarship is not just about money either. The Beedie Luminaries foundation has peer support groups for recipients and assigns each recipient a mentor.
After she gets her Associate of Arts degree from Okanagan College, Lamb wants to transfer to Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops to complete a Bachelor of Arts in psychology.
“I love working with and helping other people,” said Lamb.
That’s why she wants to have a role like a school councillor or therapist in the future.
Lamb said teachers and staff at Salmon Arm Secondary have been so helpful and want students to succeed. She said they’re there for students, not just academically but emotionally too.
Lamb was one of 112 Grade 12 students in B.C. awarded a scholarship by the Beedie Luminaries foundation. This year, the foundation extended the reach of its scholarships and awarded 15 to single parents who want to return to school.
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@roman_reportszachary.roman@saobserver.net