Jeremy Lemke wins Limestone Achiever
Award
By Chava Field-Green
Former SLHS Teach Collen Allison with Jeremy Lemke in Toronta after receiving his Herbert H Carnegie Scholarship
For Sharbot Lake High School student
Jeremy Lemke, working with kids has always been a part of his extra
curricular life. He has been a part of the Plevna Pioneer Club Youth
Group for many years. After two years with the club he became one of
its leaders. He has also worked at summer camps and is a Lifeguard
with the Sand Lake swim program.
The logical next step was to continue
his post-secondary education in well, education - which is exactly
what he plans to do at Trent University next year. Jeremy will be
studying towards an Honours Bachelor of Science, Emphasis in Teacher
Education.
Jeremy’s hard work in and out of the
classroom has paid off, and he has been awarded a Trent University
entrance scholarship. He also won a national scholarship from the
Herbert H. Carnegie Future Aces Foundation.
The Foundation honours students who
have shown strong citizenship and positive daily life skills. Herbert
H. Carnegie combated racism and prejudice playing hockey and became
the first black Canadian to be offered a contract with the NHL in the
late 1940s.
Lemke traveled to Toronto to accept the
award with Head of Student Services Liz Steele-Drew and former Math
teacher Colleen Allison.
“If I have to choose one teacher who
has been an inspiration to me, Mrs. Allison would be that teacher”,
Jeremy said late last week, “I hope to be as commanding and
understanding as her. She was a really good teacher.”
The staff at Sharbot Lake High School
also nominated him for the Limestone District School Board’s
Limestone Student Achiever Award, which he was received on Wednesday
May 27 at the board office in Kingston.
The awards are presented to 10 students
in the board who exhibit exemplary achievement in the arts,
athletics, leadership and academic standing. Jeremy was nominated for
his ability to include everyone in the school and to provide support
for staff and students alike.
“We were surprised about this award,”
Jeremy’s mother Laurie said, “We did not know that the school had
nominated him; it was much easier than essay writing and repeating
his life story for the other applications.”
Jeremy is taking all the attention
rather modestly, “I’m just psyched for university, I chose Trent
because it’s a smaller school and has the same family feeling as
Sharbot Lake High school, where I’m thinking of returning as a
teacher”. As for all of the awards, he said, “Every little bit
helps.”
Sydenham High School Student Achievers: Drew Cumpson
and Shannon Walsh.
Drew Cumpson has consistently demonstrated a
strong commitment to his school community and has balanced academic
success with strong participation in all aspects of school life at
Sydenham High School.
As the clothing minister with the
Students’ Council this year, Drew was responsible for designing the
logos and worked closely with suppliers to distribute the clothing
orders. He also assisted other ministers with dances and spirit days.
He was instrumental in the creation of
the Swim Team at Sydenham High School this year and won Gold in the
200 m Free-style and the Relay at EOSSA. Recently, Drew helped to
organize and was the spokesperson for the “Inside Ride”, a
cycling fundraising event offered through the Coast to Coast Against
Cancer Foundation to raise money for young people living with cancer.
In his four years at Sydenham, Drew has
successfully balanced his academic achievement with his strong
participation in the arts, athletics and leadership activities.
Shannon Walsh’s academic
accomplishments are impressive. She earned the Gold Award in
grades 9 and 11 for achieving the highest academic average in each
year, and a Silver Award in Grade 10 for achieving the second highest
academic average of her year. In addition, Shannon earned the award
for highest academic achievement in each of the most of her high
school courses.
What makes Shannon’s academic success
even more outstanding is that she has balanced her passion for
athletics along with her course work. Throughout her four years
at Sydenham High School, Shannon has participated on the volleyball,
basketball, soccer, badminton and track and field teams. In
Grade 9, Shannon earned the distinction of “Grade 9 Top Female
Athlete” and in Grade 11, she achieved the highest distinction a
female athlete could receive: The “O.H. Berry Award for Top Female
Athlete”. Now in Grade 12, Shannon is the Co-President of the
Student Athletics Association, which focuses on events that unify the
school community and recognize individual student achievement.
Shannon consistently demonstrates the
qualities of a strong student leader. She acts with a quiet, calm
determination and serves as a positive role model to her peers. Last
year, Shannon participated as a peer tutor in the “School to
Community” classroom, assisting students who have academic and
physical challenges. This year, she served as the assistant coach of
the Junior Boys’ Volleyball team. Shannon also helped to coordinate
Sydenham’s Fall Student Leadership Conference, and she has been an
active member of the school’s concert band for the past four years.
