Local Community Advertising
A grade 12 student in Kelowna has been awarded with a Beedie Luminaries scholarship of up to $44,000.
Abdulrahman Alhamwi, who is graduating from Rutland Senior Secondary, has been recognized as a promising student in BC who has faced challenges and adversity with determination and resilience.
“This scholarship from Beedie Luminaries means the world to me,” Alhamwi says. “It has changed my life and will help me build my future.”
Alhamwi will be heading to UBC Okanagan in the fall.
A total of $6.9 million in scholarships is being awarded to 116 grade 12 students, 10 refugee and immigrant students and 20 single parents in BC by Ryan Beedie through his Beedie Luminaries foundation.
The Beedie Luminaries grade 12 scholarship program provides students who demonstrate strong academic potential and determination, but face financial barriers to attending post-secondary, with up to $44,000 each over four years, as well as access to mentors, student coaches, paid internships and ongoing support.
This year’s grade 12 recipients come from 67 high schools in 29 communities, with 41% being the first in their immediate family to pursue post-secondary education and 60% coming from single-parent or legal guardian families.
In addition to university, a number of students will use the funds to attend trade school and vocational training.
With its first cohort of scholarship recipients graduating this spring, Beedie Luminaries wanted to continue providing support for students whose areas of study, such as medicine or law, require advanced degrees.
For the first time, the foundation is also awarding 10 Graduate Studies Awards to previous scholarship recipients who have finished their undergraduate degrees and are now pursuing graduate or second-entry undergraduate studies.
“It has been inspiring to see the success that this talented and determined group of young people has achieved over the past four years,” Beedie says.
“I can’t wait to see what they will accomplish as they move forward to the next chapter of their lives.”
The Graduate Studies Award provides up to $50,000 over two years to existing Beedie Luminaries scholarship recipients to pursue a master’s degree or second-entry undergraduate program, as well as continued support from student coaches, mentors and the wider Beedie Luminaries community.
“We believe in reducing financial barriers to post-secondary education, both at the undergraduate and graduate level,” Beedie explains.
“That is why, as our first cohort finishes their bachelor’s degrees, we want to continue providing support for Beedie Luminaries students who plan to pursue advanced degrees and who have been outstanding ambassadors of our program.”
Beedie Luminaries, through their Single Parent Award for Resilience and Knowledge (SPARK) and Refugee and Immigrant Student Education (RISE) programs, also provides scholarships to single parents and refugees, respectively, who want to pursue further education in BC.
In 2023, these two programs will grant 30 scholarships worth up to $44,000 each.
Originally launched on Nov. 13, 2018 with a $50 million donation from Ryan Beedie that coincided with his 50th birthday, Beedie Luminaries has awarded 625 scholarships to grade 12, single parent, refugee and graduate students in BC to date.
Beedie Luminaries is a non-profit society whose mission is built on the premise that education can enhance future career opportunities and fundamentally create positive societal outcomes.
Students who are interested in applying to be part of next year’s cohort are encouraged to visit beedieluminaries.ca. The application period for the 2024 cohort will open in fall 2023.
Alhamwi adds: “I recommend the Beedie Luminaries scholarship program to any student who wants to focus on post-secondary education.”
Local Community Advertising