1. Bathurst Heights Secondary School Commemorative Scholarship in partnership with New Heights Community Health Centres offer the New Heights Scholarship to one male and one female graduate per year. Successful applicants:

• Live or go to schools in the priority neighbourhoods served by New Heights Community Health Centres - Lawrence Heights and Westminster Branson
• Attend a publicly funded school on a full time basis
• Have a good academic standing (75% or more)
• Contribute to the school and/or community
• Have overcome adversity
• Have been accepted to a university or college for the following year

  Download the New Heights Scholarship Application

Zohal Kohistani

My name is Zohal Kohistani and I am truly honoured to have received this scholarship. It is with the help of organizations such as the New Heights Community Centres that allows students to come out of a troubled past and advance to a better future. I was born in Afghanistan during the rise of the Taliban. I lost my father to an attack at the age of 4 months. My mother was left alone with three kids to fend for, in a country where women are degraded and denied any opportunity to survive on their own. My mother was able to get her kids out of the slums of Afghanistan and into a world of freedom and opportunities in Canada. She is my inspiration in everything that I have done. I have worked hard in school to maintain high grades and be involved in raising awareness as well as helping people both close to home and around the world who need it. I have been working with and leading in organizations such as Free The Children, Invisible Children, Students Making a Difference, Many Faces of Newtonbrook and World Vision’s 30 Hour Famine. Currently, I will be heading to university and studying criminology. I will continue to be apart of and lead organizations that promote awareness and aid by remembering what my mother always taught me “it is our obligation as human beings to help those in need”. I wish any future recipients of the New Heights Community Health Centres Scholarship the best of luck and hope that this scholarship will help them as much as it will help me.   

Oleg Shteyner

My name is Oleg Shteyner and I’m very honoured to be a recipient of the 2009 New Heights Scholarship. After my arrival to Canada, in July 2007, I had to face many obstacles such as the absence of language proficiency and knowledge of culture. However, my will to succeed in Canadian society was strong and I was determined to achieve my goal.
I always like to challenge myself by integrating my school and extracurricular activities together. On top of my intensive academic work, I endeavour into leadership positions, volunteering groups, scientifically related clubs and organizations, sports and religious studies. My aim is to become a mineral engineer because I have always done exceptionally well in the fields of science and mathematics. Through this vocation, I will be able to give back to society by working for creating clean and safe sources of energy. I have always sought academic excellence and have developed my critical thinking skills to the point where I am ready to embrace further mentoring ideas and philosophies of a multidisciplinary approach that every University prides itself on.
Starting on September 2009, I will be studying Mineral Engineering at University of Toronto. Regardless of how my life will turn out, I know that by having attended a prestigious University, my time will have been well spent. I believe that this incredible experience would make me a better person and a more responsible global citizen.

Ayan Mohamed

I am a first generation Somali living within the Lawrence Heights community, some may say this environment has set me up to fail in life; but it is truly not.

I have chosen to embrace my surroundings and join extracurricular leadership efforts within my community like the Community Parent Education Program.

The involvement within my school and community has led me to be who I am today which is a person who is striving to succeed. In the fall I will be attending the University of Toronto for Life Sciences which seemed like a dream not to long ago.

Sharif Opoku

My name is Sharif Opoku and I am honoured to be a recipient of the New Heights Scholarship. I am a grade graduate from Downsview Secondary School. I am on the honour roll and I have been a member of the D.S.S Boys’ Soccer Team for the past four years. I have aided in many fundraising projects at Downsview, including recently the Relay for Life (for the Canadian Cancer Society) and the 30 Hour Famine. Outside of school, I am a religious Sunday class teacher at my local mosque and also a mentor for fourteen young boys in my community.

I have accepted an offer to UOIT (University of Ontario Institute of Technology) where will study in the Life Sciences program in hopes of becoming a family doctor in future.  I also helped to promote the school spirit at Downsview SS and was a part of the boys soccer team for 4 years.  I volunteered with the Now club at Downsview and helped in a fundraising efforts to build a school in Kenya.    

Chaitali Chauhan
My name is Chaitali Chauhan and since immigrating to Canada, my father has not found a job suited to his engineering background. With this professional ghettoization comes other kinds of isolation; my family and others like us are forced to stay with our own ethnic community, prevented from truly integrating into this society. Instead of feeling disadvantaged, I rose above the situation to build a strong self image of myself. I reject ghettoization in favour of true multiculturalism. I identified inequity and refused to accept it by making changes in my community and throughout my years in high school. I have diverse community involvements from initiating a Youth Links at The Council for Access to the Profession of Engineering (CAPE), volunteering at a family doctor’s clinic, children’s summer camp at Lawrence Community Centre, to performing a drama play at Harbourfront Centre for South Asian Heritage Month.

For four years of my life in high school, I have not only been involved in science and mathematics clubs after school, but also creative activities such as performing steel pan music and dance routines on Talent Shows and on Arts Nights. I was also enthusiastically involved with the student body as a student council member, volunteer ambassador, a lead student ambassador on all parent and community outreach initiatives, peer mediator and tutor. I believe that dedication combined with hard work will ultimately result in success.

I have achieved the highest average and completed the most community hours in my graduating class. Starting from Sept 2007, I will be studying Life Science at University of Toronto. The things I have done so far are just baby steps, because I know I will achieve more with the skills I have gained and with the passion that burns within me. 

Michael Amoroso
My name is Michael Amoroso, and I am one of the recipients of the New Heights Scholarship for 2007. I recently graduated from Dante Alighieri Academy with an 84% average. I was always involved in the school's community, mainly as a coach and player on many sports teams, some of which I captained.

In recent years, volleyball has become my calling, and I have spent countless hours training towards being the best I can be at it. This upcoming year, I intend on playing at Queen's University, where I will be working towards a degree in English. I aspire to play for the Senior Men's National Team, and be able to represent my country in international competition.

My life goal, however, is to eventually become a youth lawyer, and spend free time coaching club volleyball. My life hit a rough patch in high school, and with the help of friends and adult mentors, I was able to turn my life around. I hope that in my later years, I am able to do the same, and really make a difference in another's life.  

Ahmed Abukar
I came from Somalia 11 years ago. I didn’t speak any English, hadn’t been to school, and I didn’t even know about adaptive equipments available visually impaired people. Up until the age of 9, due to my disability, I was not able to go to school because Somalia had no services or accommodations to assist visually impaired people. Learning English was a huge challenge. I have come to exceed the expectations in my new surroundings.
I am currently attending the University of Guelph-Humber in Business Administration. I graduated from George Harvey CI with above average marks. In addition to that, I was given the Academic Award for having an excellent academic record and the Senior Honour Roll Award. I was also presented with the Chartered Accountant Award in 2004, Merit Award Bursary in 2003, and the Principal Award in 2002.

At high school, I was a member of the Student Council, Prefect Organization, and the Jr Boys Basketball Team Manager. I have volunteered for the Somali Banadir Assoc. I I aspire to become a professional accountant and get a CA designation. Another objective is to open up my very own accounting firm. 

Shaon Saeed

A Little About Me
I was born in Bangladesh. In hopes of finding a better future, my mother and I moved to Canada to escape political persecution. It is here that I learned of a famous line by Mahatma Gandhi “Be the change that you want to see in the world.”

Living in the Lawrence Heights community for most of my life, I realized the significance of these words. It meant that change began with me and I had the power to impact my school and community. I became involved in many of York Memorial’s student organizations. I took on leadership roles in clubs such as Leadership Today, Empowered Student Partnership and Involved in Making People Aware of Choices for Teens (IMPACT).

With the help of my peers, we organized successful food drives and raised funds for York Services to pay for food vouchers and other supplies. As well, our team sought to help homeless teens find shelter and jobs by participating in the United Way C. N. Tower Climb. In response to the gun violence in Toronto, I helped initiate a project to plant a peace tree to promote the message of peace, harmony and the end to youth violence. But to give back specifically to the community of Lawrence Heights, I volunteered my Saturday mornings as a tutor to help young children with their homework. 

Mariesa Cadogan
I graduated Sir Sandford Fleming Academy at the top 10% of my class. I attained an 86% average, and was the recipient of various awards over my high school career. My involvement in school ranged from being president of the student council to being one of the founders and leaders of the dance club to initiating a peer tutoring group.
Outside of school, my contributions included volunteering at Joyce Public School’s Homework club and Lotherton Pathway’s Toronto Breakfast Club. I am currently in my second year at York University studying English and Business and look forward to continuing to invest in the success of our youths by becoming a high school teacher. 

Maliesa Cadogan
My name is Maliesa Cadogan and I am one of the past recipients of the New Heights Scholarship for 2004. I attended Sir Sandford Fleming Academy for three out of the four years of my high school years.
While there I was involved in many co-curricular activities including, Student Council, Girls’ Mentor Group, and 3-year captain of the Volleyball team. Through my involvement I was able to develop leadership skills and attain many awards and acknowledgments. I also gained recognition for my community involvement by volunteering at Joyce Public Schools’ Homework Club and Lotherton Pathway Breakfast Club just to name a few.
By continuing my school involvement, volunteering in community projects, and maintaining a high academic average (85%), I was accepted to attend York University upon graduation.
I am currently well on my way to achieving a degree in Human Resource Management to attain my long term goal as a Human Resource Manager for a community outreach organization. 

Masarat Saqib
During my four years as a high school student at York Memorial CI, I was intensely involved in various organizations and activities. I was a peer mentor and tutor for the younger students. Also, a friend and I established the Infinity Club - a Math club at York Memorial.
Moreover, I was involved in the Girls Athletic Association, track team and the debate team. I was leading the jr class in exercises and technique developments which was such an honor. I also volunteered helping my physically disabled neighbour. And finally, during the summers I volunteered at Princess Margaret Hospital and taught Arabic to Muslim kids.
I am now a Kinesiology student at York U. I would like to pursue my dream in dentistry. I have been a part of the York Biological Society, Student Ombuds Services, Afghan Student Assoc. while handling a part time job.
I am passionate about my community and school and will be in years to come. My life's aim is to raise the peak of the mountain of knowledge. It is this aim that will inspire me as a future dentist, community activist and athlete.