Miriam Bailey wins Garfield Weston award worth up to $40,000

A Belwood woman attend­ing Conestoga College has re­ceived a 2009 upper-year Garfield Weston award worth up to $40,000.

Miriam Bailey has been a St. John Ambulance member for over ten years,  volun­teer­ing at community events and training younger members.

Nationally, only 48 of the awards are granted to stud­ents who are passionate about their fields of study; curious, cour­ageous and willing to try new things; and community-minded and interested in be­com­ing involved and making a difference in society.

Bailey visited Malta to learn about the organization’s his­tory. She is also very involv­ed in her rural community, serving as a youth director for 4-H and the Erin Agricultural Society. She is studying to be a paramedic.

Hundreds of students throughout Canada apply for the Garfield Weston awards, the largest scholarship avail­able for college study in Can­ada. The awards are under­written by the W. Garfield Weston Foundation   (www.­wes­tonfoundation.org) and ad­ministered by The Canadian Merit Scholarship Foundation.

Each award comprises an annual stipend of $8,000, a  matching tuition waiver from a participating college, $3,500 in funding for summer internships and opportunities, one-on-one mentorship and participation in an annual national leadership conference.

Applications are available in January each year. For more information, visit www.gar­fieldwestonawards.ca.

Bailey is well known in the Wellington county community for her involvement in 4-H clubs. Last year she was featured in the Wellington Advertiser after she completed 100 4-H club projects.

Wellington County 4-H secretary Barb McAllister said Bailey did that between the  ages of  10 to 21.

She credited her family for her involvement in 4-H.

“My older sisters were into it and I couldn’t wait to get started,” she said. “I used to tag along before I was old enough.”

Bailey said of the club, “4-H is hands on. It gave me confidence. The hands-on stuff really helps out with that.”

Bailey was home schooled, and has also been involved with the Erin Fall Fair board. She was also the Erin Fair Ambassador in 2005-06.

 

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