I’ve seen the future and it looks good — if what I saw Thursday morning is anything to go by.
For the fourth year in a row, I had the privilege of judging the Vernon School District’s Scholarship Competition and as always, I was amazed by what I saw.
Along with my colleagues, Kristin Froneman and Roger Knox, I was given the title of “expert” judge, presumably because I have some expertise in my field. That is of course questionable, but the three students whose work I judged were unquestionably experts in their respective fields.
What’s even more astonishing is that several of the students I interviewed are starting their post-secondary educations this fall in completely different fields.
The 67 scholarships are worth $1,250 each and are provided by the Ministry of Education to be used towards tuition at a post-secondary institution.
The projects presented by Grade 12 students from throughout the district were wide-ranging: music and visual art were well-represented of course, but there were also projects that looked at eras of women’s beauty, from the Edwardian era to the present day; one that used Chinese brush painting and calligraphy to illustrate that ancient culture; another with handcrafted costumes and props; poetry that was personal and close-to-the-heart; volunteer work in Mexico; musical theatre; and the list goes on.
The students I met and interviewed were amazing and if it were up to me, each and every one of them would receive a scholarship.
When I talk to these students, I think about my tween daughter, who is trying to find her way, thrives with positive reinforcement, and is sensitive to criticism. But whether you’re in Grade 6 or Grade 12, positive reinforcement is always welcome. In fact, as one of my fellow judges observed, it doesn’t matter how old we are, we want to be liked and we want to be told we’re doing a good job.
And being judged is not a comfortable position to be in. These kids have worked their butts off to prepare for this week’s competition, with detailed notes in their journals and fabulous displays showing their work.
It takes courage to put yourself out there. Some of the work is extremely personal, particularly the notes in their journals, so I applaud the students for being willing to take this risk.
I stopped taking art class after Grade 8 when my teacher looked at my silk-screened picture of a sailboat and said, “That’s not a very good print.” That was it for me. My mother had it framed and hung it on the wall, bless her. I look at it now and think it’s actually not bad.
So kudos also go to the sponsor-teachers who advise the kids on their journeys, guiding and providing constructive criticism, but also encouraging them.
Listening to the radio on the way back to the office, education was the topic on the call-in show. One caller lamented the ministry’s cuts to funding, which in turn means cuts to school district programs. She said many people are choosing alternates to public education. I wanted to phone in and tell her that some districts are producing great work despite the cuts.
This district has certainly not been immune to cuts, but spend a few hours in a room filled with both students and educators, and you would never know it.
