Kamloops high school student receives unique scholarship award

KAMLOOPS — A South Kamloops Secondary student received a prestigious scholarship award Thursday morning (April 6) that only a select few are able to receive.

Grade 12 student Graeme Hanks was the recipient of the Loran Scholar award. It’s a four-year scholarship that will allow him to attend a canadian post secondary school. Hanks is one of 36 across the nation to receive such an award, which recognizes a student who is involved their school and community groups.

“I was just really happy, excited, and honoured that I was able to receive this award,” the 18-year-old told CFJC Today.

Hanks mentions how it’s a lengthy process after submitting an application.

“After the regional interviews, I got an email saying they invited me out to Toronto,” Hanks said. “I was flown out to Toronto for three days where I had interviews and I met the other 90 candidates that were there.”

And then a week later, Hanks got the phone call he was waiting for.

“I was in my living room watching Bayern Munich play on Saturday morning and I got the phone call, heard the news and did my little happy dance.”

Hanks credits his involvement in various school and community groups as the reason in receiving the scholarship. He’s the co-founder of his high school’s choir and a member of the principal’s council.

“Working with students and the school’s administration to improve and better our school,” said Hanks. “I just saw the potential that all these great clubs and activities had that I wanted to be involved in. I wanted to be a part of that change and I think that was really the driving factor.”

The high school student’s hard work has not gone unseen. Kamloops-Thompson Board of Education Chair Heather Grieve is hard pressed when asked to point out one outstanding quality.

“[Graeme] is you know this individual who is incredibly engaged in so many different things and passionate about so many different things,” Grieve told CFJC Today.

“It’s actually hard to pick one thing that stands out other than with all those things going on. He’s humble and gracious and expresses gratitude for the people who have assisted him in getting here and I think those are some incredible qualities,”

Hanks has yet to decide on where he will go for post secondary. However, he’s narrowed it down to three schools: University of British Columbia, University of Waterloo and University of Victoria to pursue engineering.