TRURO, N.S. — It will be a summer spent in Ecuador, before Zoe Morgan moves on to the next stage of her education, assisted greatly by a generous scholarship she's earned.
The Truro girl, who just graduated from Cobequid Educational Centre, received an $80,000 scholarship to study commerce at Queen’s University, in Kingston, Ont.
“I looked at the criteria and it was really specific, so I felt I had a decent chance,” she said. “It was really exciting to get it because I won’t end up with a huge student loan.”
The scholarship, a D&R Sobey Atlantic Admission Award, provides $20,000 for the 2019-2020 academic year, and the same amount for each of the three remaining years of study, and is presented to six students from across Atlantic Canada.
“It’s based on academic skills, leadership and extra-curricular activities,” said Morgan. “I think what helped me was that they saw I had the ability to plan and found something, as well as lead.”
While attending CEC, she founded Maritime Futuremakers, a group where students planned and ran projects to help others. They raised funds and purchased essential supplies for the Truro Homeless Shelter, visited the Parkland nursing home to teach seniors how to use digital technology, and organized a program to provide lunches to students.
She was Miss Teenage Nova Scotia in 2017, was a co-leader of the United Way youth committee and student head of the Relay for Life. She’s taken part in CEC musicals and Truro Musical Festival, and been a peer mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters
“I want to study commerce because it has applications with everything,” she said. “I want to approach business in a very honest way and help people.
“Queens has one of the most well-developed commerce programs in the country and student life is really vibrant there, so it will be exciting. I’ll miss my family and I’ll probably miss how peaceful life is here.”
She’ll be learning and working during July and August, as she volunteers with non-government organizations in Ecuador.
“It’s my first time in South America and my first time travelling internationally by myself so I’m a little nervous,” she said. “I’ve been learning some Spanish lately. Want to connect with local people and be immersed in the culture. There’ll be opportunities to travel during weekends, and I hope to visit the Amazon.”
She’ll only be home for a week before she leaves for university.
“My advice for other young people is to be original,” she said. “Go above and beyond what you think you can do and don’t be afraid to go far away because a lot of opportunities in those places may be more suitable for you.”
Morgan left for Ecuador on June 30.
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