Finalists of 2010
photo by Bennett Guinn
YWPA 1010 finalists from left to right: Caroline Wong, Kelly Twa and Chelsea Ruiter
Kelly Twa of St Michaels University School and Chelsea Ruiter of claremont Secondary School were awarded $500 each for their submissions to Zonta. Caroline Wong of Mount Douglas High School was awarded $1500 and her submission will go forward to District 8.
Judges Jodi de Medeiros and Alison Moran had been joined by Reta Clark to review applications (each comprising 5 essays!) from 27 amazing applicants across the Greater Victoria area.
What is it?
Zonta International believes young women are the key to women’s advancement in the field of Public Service. The YWPA awards are given annually to young women who have demonstrated their leadership skills and interest in civic causes through their work in community services and in the volunteer sector.
Applicants submit a review of which are reviewed by a panel of judges who mark and rank the applications based on a set of criteria developed by Zonta International. The two runners up will each receive an award of $500. The winner receives a $1500 cheque and will qualify to compete for a $1,000 award at the district level. If successful at the district level her paper is then submitted for the $3000 International YWPA award.
The Zonta Club of Victoria believes in celebrating the successes of all the applicants and invites each one to the banquet to receive a certificate.
October, 2009
Congratulations to Rosie Mazzola, chosen by District 8 as the top candidate from this District. Rosie received a cash award from Zonta International, and is now entered into the Zonta International pool of successful candidates.
February 26, 2009
A record-breaking year with 13 of the 25 applicants accepting our invitation to attend the YWPA gala. The 25 applicants were:
Belmont Secondary School:
Elliott Brown
Edward Milne Community School:
Emily Irwin, Michelle White
Esquimalt High School:
Britney Allen, Allison Weick
Lambrick Park Secondary:
Melissa Orton
Glenlyon-Norfolk School:
Emily Rogers
Lester B. Pearson College of the Pacific:
Jalena Fomiskina, Thana'a Hazem, Erica Kafwimi Gladys Ndagire,
Oak Bay Secondary School:
Haley Cannell, Tookie Graham, Alanna Horton, Jennifer Newberry, Genevieve Rocheleau, Colleen Sanderson, Alix Thomson, Emily Walker
Parkland Secondary School:
Hailey Flader
Spectrum Community School:
Simone Mehra, Megan Rowe
St. Margaret's School:
Alice Jen, Rosetta Mazzola
Victoria High School:
Sarah Allan
The three judges, Bruce Williams (Manager, Community Relations, A-Channel), Farheen Haq (Visual Artist) and Pauline Rafferty (CEO, Royal BC Museum) indicated that with so many outstanding applicants, it was a challenge to choose three finalists. Finalist Rosetta Mazzola will now go on to compete in the Zonta International District competition and, if successful there, will go on to compete with young women aged 16-20 from 67 countries around the world.
Guest speaker Liz Ashton, President of Camosun College, community leader and former Olympian, (pictured here to the right of Dora Dempster, YWPA Chair) addressed the 100+ guests and encouraged the students to pursue the career paths they enjoy. She presented the awards.
photo by Bennett Guinn
Our finalists, pictured left to right, were Sarah Allan, Allison Weick and Rosie Mazzola. Rosie Mazzola was the finalist who received the $1500 scholarship and now continues on to the District 8 YWPA judging.
photo by Bennett Guinn
For more photographs of this most exciting event, please visit our photo gallery by clicking here: YWPA2009
Congratulations International Winner Celia White
Celia White, winner of the 2008 YWPA award from the Zonta Club of Nanaimo went on to become one of the International YWPA winners. Celia is pictured here with her mother and Governor Terri Turi at the Governor's Seminar, 2008.
Highlights from 2008 event
February 21, 2008
Five of this year's amazing applicants joined us for the Young Women in Public Affairs awards night. The three finalists spoke to their visions for improving the status of women- though education, leadership and taking a stand against abuse.
Congratulations to:
Our applicants:
Valeriya Edemskya -- Reynolds Secondary
Alannah James -- St Margarets School
Marissa Johnstone -- Reynolds Secondary
Marianne Hemstock --Parklands secondary
Kim Nguyen -- Reynolds Secondary
Morgan Pudwell -- St Michaels University School
Naomi Roome -- Oak Bay Secondary
Finalists were:
Brittany Cooper -- Oak Bay Secondary
Rose Jang -- Esquimalt High
Sithanda Ntuka -- Pearson College
Sithanda Ntuka was the winner of the $1500 scholarship.
Our thanks to all who supported the event through their attendance. It was also wonderful to hear parents and teachers speak so positively about the YWPA award process and how worthwhile they felt the endeavour was.
Victoria's 2007 finalist moved on.....
Emily Claire Peiffer, 2007 YWPA finalist from the Zonta Club of Victoria, became the District 8 Award Winner for Zonta's Young Women in Public Affairs Competition! District 8 includes Alaska, British Columbia, down to the California border and across to and including Idaho. Zonta Victoria is extremely proud of Emily!
