Three Thorold student-athletes were honoured during last night's city council meeting, as they each received an ‘Open The Door’ scholarship from the White Family Foundation.
The scholarship was launched two years ago to bring equal educational opportunities for exemplary student-athletes in Thorold.
Each year, one female and one male student-athlete in Thorold get awarded the scholarship, which encompasses $10,000 in annual financial aid, for up to four years.
The goal of the 'Open The Door' scholarship is to provide student-athletes in Thorold with accessibility and opportunity to pursue a post-secondary education. By removing financial barriers, students will be able to excel in their fields of study and use their hard work and ambition to focus on achieving success.
This year there were 20 student-athletes from three different high schools who applied for the scholarship: 6 males and 14 females.
Because of the strength of this year's applications, the foundation made the exceptional decision to grant a scholarship to two female athletes, as well as one male athlete.
Regional Councillor Tim Whalen was on hand during last night's city council meeting to highlight the achievements of each student, as Mayor Terry Ugulini presented them with a certificate from the city.
The lucky three student-athletes are:
Nathan Miller - Thorold Secondary School
Nathan Miller is currently a Grade 12 student at Thorold Secondary School and he has been accepted to the Biological Sciences program at Brock University, which he plans to attend for the next four years.
Nathan has lived in Thorold since he was six months old and he has always taken a great interest in sports. He has played hockey as a member of Thorold Amateur Athletic Association (TAAA) since he was four and has played baseball as a member of Thorold Minor Baseball for 13 years.
Nathan has taken every opportunity to play on has many high school teams as possible, and has still been able to maintain an average of over 93 percent inside the classroom.
At Thorold Secondary School, he was the starting small forward on the varsity basketball team for three years, spent two years as a setter on the volleyball team, two years as the first baseman for the baseball team, a year as the goalkeeper for the soccer team, and a year as a wide receiver for the football team. On top of that, he has been the starting center for the Pelham Panthers basketball team these past few years. Nathan believes that the most important part of being a student-athlete is his work inside the classroom.
Nathan has also been a leader in the community. He has helped the TAAA by being a scorekeeper for their hockey tournaments and he has taken a coaching role for the U13 team at Thorold Minor Baseball.
Charlotte Fowle - Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School
Charlotte Fowle is a Grade 12 student at Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School who plans to attend Trenton University where she will enrol in their Criminology Co-op program. She wants to then go to Laurier University to obtain a Masters in Social Work.
Charlotte has been an honour student since Grade 8 and currently holds a 96.5 grade average. She was recently nominated for the DSBN Excellence in Education Award, one of the most prestigious awards given out at her high school graduation.
As an athlete, she has played travel hockey for the St. Catharines Jr. Badgers for six years. She has been involved in the hockey community in many ways including timekeeping, being on the Junior Board, and volunteering to work with the fundamentals program to teach young girls the basics of hockey.
Unfortunately, Charlotte's playing career has been cut short due to four concussions. She had to lay down her gloves and pick up a whistle. She is now an official with the St. Catharines Hockey Association. She has been able to be a strong female role model showing players there is always space for them on the ice regardless of their gender.
In the community, Charlotte has been a leader in her school's Wellness Committee as well as the Equity Committee. In the Wellness Committee, she works to further student wellness, be it mentally, physically, or spiritually. In the Equity Committee, she works to make her school a more inclusive space for all students. She is heavily involved in her school community in many different ways including recycling club, as well as being a leader to Project Spirit and Project Bulldog.
Emma Jacobs - Dennis Morris Catholic High School
Emma is a Grade 12 student-athlete at Dennis Morris Catholic High School who plans to attend Guelph University, where she will be studying biochemistry for four years.
As a student-athlete, Emma has been involved in rowing, flag football, long distance running and track and field, where she is currently the only senior female on the team.
In school and in the community, Emma has been involved in many activities. She is on the student council, she has been involved in her school's Haiti and Guatemala projects, and she has also volunteered at food banks, and with the Greater Niagara Humane Society.
Emma does all this while maintaining a 96 percent average in her school work.
