Three Leaside High School graduates have won scholarship awards sponsored by the TD Bank for their selfless leadership in helping others. The TD Scholarships for Community Leadership are valued at up to $70,000 and are awarded to young grads who make a difference. This year’s winners are from all across the country but, remarkably, LHS grads won three awards from among 20 shining faces named by TD Bank on its scholarship website.
SAHAR ABDALLA
Sahar Abdalla became a Youth Director on the Flemingdon Park Parent Association. She started a drop-in homework centre for students from grades 4 to 6 and applied her French skills as one of the volunteer tutors. She organized leadership workshops and a soccer house league, in which she managed coaches and planned schedules. She also edited her student newspaper and was active on the school robotics team. Sahar plans to study software engineering at the University of Toronto.
CINDY CHEN
Yiqiao (Cindy) Chen tutored a blind teenager in Beijing and founded Vision Exchange, a non-profit program matching sighted English-speaking mentors with blind Chinese buddies for online classes and conferences. The program grew to 120 participants in three countries, helping Chinese blind people overcome their limited education options and fulfill dreams. Cindy also ran music theory and science youth camps at the Victoria Park Hub community centre and founded her school’s first business club. She will pursue Engineering Science at the University of Toronto and seek a career in education or economics.
WILLIAM CHINNERY
Leaside winner William Chinnery was inspired by volunteers as he himself faced cancer. William designed an online test registration process to help Special Education students register for support during tests which has been adopted by other schools. He helped organize events in aid of mental illness and help students cope with stress. He also introduces children with disabilities to technology and robotics at a children’s rehabilitation hospital. He will attend Ryerson University in Business Technology Management. With TD Bank website