News Archive
Shawnigan Student Earns Entry into National Science Fair
Shawnigan students continue to shine, and this week Grade 11 student Sarah M. is no exception as she emerged from the virtual Vancouver Island Regional Science Fair (VIRSF) with an impressive second-place overall finish. This year marked the first time Shawnigan had an entry in this regional fair, and the results saw Sarah—along with the other top six projects from the fair—earning a spot in the prestigious Canada-Wide Science Fair, being held virtually in May. The national fair is Canada’s foremost annual youth science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) event that brings together the country’s top young scientists selected from approximately 100 regional fairs that take place across the country.
A continuation of her Japan Super Science Fair project from the fall, Sarah’s project addressed the topic of “Determining the Environmental Effects of Cigarette Butts and Vape Cartridges on Lake Water Samples.” With her research done on our very own Lake Omar and nearby Fuller Lake in Chemainus, the work she has done to get to this point has been inspiring. When the day of the virtual fair arrived, Sarah shared her project more than 10 times to a variety of university professors, professional scientists, and Ph.D. students, not only presenting her topic, but also effectively defending all of the work she put into it. Shawnigan’s Head of Sciences, Mr. Justin Wilke, was very proud as he sat in on her virtual presentations, saying, “she has represented the School and has ‘waved the Shawnigan flag’ proudly.”
Being awarded second place overall in the VIRSF is not the only accomplishment of this talented student. Sarah also won five other awards at the event: The NSERC (National Sciences and Engineering Research Council) Young Innovators Award, the Genome BC Scholarship Nomination, the British Columbia Institute of Agrologists - Senior Award, the Rotary Club of Victoria Environment Second-Place Award, and the Schneider Electric STEAM Award. The hard work and perseverance displayed by Sarah during the year has not gone unnoticed. Sarah is one shining example of how Shawnigan is succeeding in its mission to Spark Minds, Kindle Hearts, and Forge Futures.
We acknowledge with respect the Coast Salish Peoples on whose traditional lands and waterways we live, learn and play. We are grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful region, and we aspire to healthy and respectful relationships with those who have lived on and cared for these lands for millennia.
Shawnigan Lake School is an independent co-educational boarding school for ages 13 –18 on Canada’s beautiful West Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
