Health Professions Scholarships Recipients 2021
Lillie Donovan and Tovan Lew—grade 12 students from Port Hope and Cobourg, respectively, are the recipients of Northumberland Hills Hospital’s 2021 Health Professions Scholarships.
Presented virtually by Hospital Board Chair Pam Went at the opening of the Board of Director’s meeting this evening, the presentation continued a tradition started by the volunteer Board in 2003 to support students from west Northumberland who have chosen to pursue a career in the health-care sector.
“By helping local students achieve their academic goals, and recognizing the hard work they have invested in their studies and extracurricular pursuits, we hope to encourage students to consider opportunities at NHH when the time comes to select an employer,” said Went.
In addition to being enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a full-time study program, applicants are evaluated on a combination of criteria, including:
- academic achievements;
- extra-curricular activities;
- a testimonial explaining (in their own words) their career goals; and
- written references.
“All of our applicants demonstrated unique combinations of commitment to academics and community service,” said Went. “Northumberland has a wealth of truly exceptional students—a testament to the teachers, families and mentors who have supported them through the years.”
Details of the 2021 scholarship winners’ achievements were shared as follows at the early evening presentation.
Lillie Donovan, Port Hope
A high honours student, Lillie is completing her final year of high school at St. Mary Catholic Secondary School this month and looking forward to pursuing post-secondary studies in Canada’s capital city this fall as an Honours Bachelor of Science student in Human Kinetics at the University of Ottawa.
Lillie’s interest in a career in an allied health profession (physiotherapy or occupational therapy) is well matched with her past experience and future course of study.
A Life Action Camp volunteer at her school with over 660 hours accumulated, Lillie was also recognized by St. Mary’s as the Highest Academic Achiever (2018 and 2020), and Junior Female Athlete of the Year (2018 and 2019). Link Leader for 2019-20, she received multiple Coach’s Awards for a range of pre-pandemic high school sports activities, including Swimming (2017-18), Track and Field (2018-19), Basketball (2018-19) and Wrestling (2019-20).
Lillie’s strength as a swimmer and coach was described with high praise by Trish MacNeil, Head Coach for Northumberland Aquatic Club, in a letter of reference which described her as “an incredible person, smart, kind, talented and very welcoming.”
“As a swimmer, Lillie was exceptional,” Ms MacNeil noted. “She brought that same energy and drive to her coaching. Lillie responds …promptly to any situation she encounters with a positive and accepting attitude. It is sometimes very difficult for high-level athletes to transition their skills to the coaching side, but Lillie did that flawlessly.”
Lillie’s positive attitude and self-motivation was also highlighted by the Director of Culinary Services at Trinity College School, where Lillie has worked part-time while completing her high school studies. Extracurricular activities, work and the trials of a global pandemic have not distracted. Lillie completed her grade 11 year with a final GPA of 97.4 per cent and (at the time her application was submitted) was on track to complete grade 12 with an overall average in the low- to mid-nineties.
Tovan Lew, Cobourg
Now concluding his grade 12 year at Cobourg Collegiate Institute, Tovan has also completed the academic requirements to fulfil additional International Baccalaureate (IB) certificates later this summer in mathematics, biology, chemistry, French and English. At the time of his scholarship application he had received early acceptance to Trent, UOIT (now Ontario Tech University) and Ryerson, and was awaiting responses from several others before making a final decision. Tovan’s field of undergraduate study is expected to be Biomedical and Life Sciences—a first step in his ultimate goal of attending a Canadian medical school in the future.
Tovan’s extracurricular activities were strongly endorsed by Suzanne Kerr, Lead Teacher-Special Education and Co-Staff Advisor to the CCI Interact Club, a student-driven branch of Rotary International. “Tovan has made outstanding contributions to our Club,” she noted, serving as an Executive Member, as a leader and role model in all club events.
Two initiatives Tovan was particularly influential in running at CCI were the Community Dinner (last one completed in March 2020) and the fall food drive, Halloween for Hunger. Tovan played a role in all aspects of this involved undertaking, including the transition from the usual door-to-door style collection to a school-based drive.
Described by his teachers as a dependable, responsible change-maker with a dedicated work ethic and innovative and empathetic heart, Tovan has volunteered extensively at CCI throughout his high school years, most recently serving as the chief editor for the school yearbook—no easy feat with a school year deprived of many clubs and teams—while holding down a part-time job and maintaining his place annually on the CCI honour roll with a final average currently tracking at 96 per cent.
“The hard work and commitment to excellence demonstrated by our 2021 scholarship recipients is inspiring,” said Pam Went in her concluding remarks. “This has been an exceptionally challenging 16 months for students and teachers alike and it is remarkable to see what you have each achieved, in spite of the hurdles presented by COVID. Congratulations Lillie and Tovan on your achievements to date, and best wishes as you work toward your next academic goals.”