An RDC Kings curler and a Queen’s volleyball player were recognized for their leadership and awarded $1,500 scholarships at the 15th annual Kings & Queens Scholarship Breakfast on Wednesday.
Megan Schmidt and Andrew Jones received the Scott Builders Student-Athlete Leadership Scholarships for work on their teams at Red Deer College and throughout Central Alberta.
Schmidt, who is completing a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, has coached at her former high school École Secondaire Notre Dame High School and with the Central Alberta Queens Volleyball Club.
“Even though it is on a small scale, as student athletes we do have a platform to really influence the kids in the community and go out there and teach them there’s more to life than just sports and school. It’s about the relationships you make and the culture that we put into the community,” said Schmidt, of Red Deer.
Schmidt was a middle blocker and played a key role in the Queens’ bronze medal win at the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference Women’s Volleyball Championship this year.
She’s a two-time Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association Women’s Volleyball National Champion and co-chair of the RDC Student-Athlete Advisory Council.
Jones is a second-year student who contributed to the silver medal performance by the RDC Kings at the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference Curling Championships this past year. The medal earned the Kings a spot in the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association Curling National Championships.
Jones said it took a lot of hard work to be a scholarship recipient, but it was worth it.
“A big part of what we have at RDC isn’t just the sports we play or the school work we do, it’s the community that we’re involved in,” said Jones, of Ponoka.
“Seeing the face of kids when you go out and help them, that’s what it’s all about. It’s not about winning a championship, although those are nice. It’s just about giving back and making sure our legacy goes on and that’s a big part of RDC.”
The second-year business administration student volunteers for Special Olympics Curling and was an instructor for Adult Learn to Curl at the Pidherney Curling Centre.
szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter