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Central Alberta students win prestigious scholarships

Only 32 winners, out of 4,438 applications across Canada
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Janelle Weslowski from West Central High School, Rocky Mountain House, and Adam Guthrie, from École Secondaire Notre Dame High School, have won prestigious scholarships.

Two Central Alberta high school students have been awarded prestigious national Loran Scholarships.

Janelle Weslowski is a Grade 12 student at West Central High School in Rocky Mountain House. She is active in community theatre through choreography, choir and acting. She leads her church’s youth group, which volunteers in soup kitchens and organizes community cleanups. Janelle also created a film in support of the new gender and sexuality alliance at her school. She is employed as a cashier and supervisor at a local food store.

Adam Guthrie, is a Grade 12 student from École Secondaire Notre Dame High School in Red Deer. He volunteers as a triathlon coach for children and spearheaded a garbage clean-up initiative at his school. He is also student council president and a cross-country runner. He helped design a science game as a learning tool for students with special needs. He plays two musical instruments and works as a lifeguard and swimming instructor.

The students are only two of 32 winners, out of 84 finalists and 4,438 applications from across Canada.

They will each receive $100,000 over four years, including $10,000 annual stipends, tuition waivers, access to summer internship funding, a weeklong Outward Bound expedition and annual retreats, as well as personal mentorship.

“For months I have researched the incredible people who have been awarded the scholarship, and suddenly this honour has been given to me. I am incredibly grateful,” said Guthrie, who plans to study either engineering or medicine in post-secondary.

The Loran Scholarship is unique in its attention to a young person’s character, awarded based evidence of character, commitment to serving their communities and long-term leadership potential.

A comprehensive and thorough scholarship selection process is undertaken. Some 350 volunteers in 21 different cities interview 400 semi-finalists and then invited 83 finalists to the national selections held earlier this month Each of the 33 Loran Scholars was interviewed or assessed by up to 12 different people over the course of three months.