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Jeff Green | Aug 04, 2005

Feature article August 4, 2005

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NAEC grad wins major scholarship

by Jeff Green

Andrew Defosse, who just graduated from North Addington Education Centre this past June, is one of only 6 winners from Ontario and 43 nationwide of the Gar?eld Weston Merit Scholarship for Colleges (GWM-SC) National Awards, which will cover the cost of his col-lege education to the tune of as much as $50,000 over three years.Andrew heard about the awards from his guidance Counsellor, Mr. Ryan, and ?lled out an application form.To be honest, I kind of forgot all about it until they phoned, he said from his family home this week When the Foundation phoned, they conducted a rela-tively short interview.They talked to me for about 10 minutes, Andrew De-fosse said, con?rming some of the things I had said on the application. At this point he had passed through the Provincial and Regional levels, guaranteeing him a scholarship of $4,000.He was then invited to Toronto for the ?nal interview process at Centennial College. Over the course of a long day, Andrew and the 80 or so other applicants were in-terviewed by four different people, culminating in four on one interview at the end of day.At about 9 oclock the next night, they phoned and said I had been successful, he said.The GWMSC awards are given out to students who have good academic grades, but the focus of the awards is on community involvement.You had to have either a 75 or 80 per cent average to apply, but that was the last time grades were mentioned, it was based on community volunteering, and future plans, Andrew Defosse said.What we are really looking for are outstanding stu-dents, who have made a strong commitment to their communities, and are embarking on a ?eld of study with a similar kind of commitment, said Nadira Ramharry, a spokesperson for the Foundation.Andrew Defosse has been an active community volun-teer throughout his High School years, coaching basket-ball and soccer, working on events at the Barrie Hall with the Cloyne Rec. Committee. At NAEC, he served on the student Council last year, and two years ago MCd the Remembrance Day Ceremony, and provided behind the scene support at an event organized to raise awareness about Violence against Women.He intends to work in policing, and he will be attend-ing Cambrian College in Sudbury this September to start a two year course in The Foundations of Polic-ing. If all goes well, he will then apply to go to Police College through the OPP and start a policing career. It is early days yet, but Andrew is interested in eventually join-ing a tactical po-licing squad of some sort.As an award recipient, he will be receiving $8,000 for living expenses this year, plus his tu-ition at Cambrian College. He will need to keep the Foundation apprised of his progress, and his continuing ?-nancial need after that, but the scholarship is good for up to 3 years. There are also possibilities for summer travel and education through the scholarship fund that Andrew might consider.