Young Women in Public Affairs

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!

 



 






Congratulations to Celia and to the Zonta Club of Nanaimo!



June 11, 2008

We were pleased to learn that the Zonta Club of Nanaimo's YWPA winner, Celia White, won the District 8 YWPA award and was one of the 5 Zonta International winners.  She attended the Governor's Seminar in September, 2008, and is pictured here between her mother (left) and Governor Terri Turi (right).