Four Coquitlam high school students are not only graduating this month, they’re also leaving as “Luminaries.”
On Thursday, June 13, developer Ryan Beedie, who is constructing the Fraser Mills waterfront community in Coquitlam, announced he has awarded $7.4 million in scholarships through his Beedie Luminaries foundation to 113 Grade 12 students, 13 graduate students, 14 refugee and immigrant students and 27 single parents.
Among the Coquitlam graduating students, who will receive financial aid worth up to $44,000 each, are (in alphabetical order):
- Noor Khalil, Gleneagle Secondary
- UBC
- Elva Ly, Port Moody Secondary
- UBC
- Natasha Mayzel, Inquiry Hub
- UBC
- Sahil Sarhadi, Dr. Charles Best Secondary
- SFU
“The Beedie Luminaries scholarship means I get a new beginning for not only me but my family as well,” said Khalil in a news release.
“I'm able to put all my effort into studying while removing the stress of debt and money.”
“Not only does receiving this scholarship alleviate the financial stresses of post-secondary but it also means access to mentors and peer support groups,” Ly added.
“As the eldest daughter of immigrant parents, it means a lot to me to have Beedie Luminaries’ guidance for the next big chapter of my life.”
Beedie has given away $35 million in scholarships to 792 students in B.C. over the past five years, a $50-million legacy he created in 2018 to coincide with his 50th birthday.
“I feel strongly that cost should not be a barrier to education,” he said.
“That’s why we are trying to level the playing field and provide more students facing barriers with opportunities to reach new heights that may seem otherwise impossible.”
His SHINE (Soaring Higher IN Education) scholarships are going to 2024 graduating students in 63 secondary schools across 25 municipalities; half come from single parent or legal guardian families while one-third will be the first child in their immediate family to enrol in a post-secondary institution.
