NSHSS is excited to announce our newest partnership with St. Michaels University School (SMUS). SMUS is a prestigious private boarding school located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. With a student body of 928, SMUS offers over twenty Advanced Placement subjects and dedicates itself to developing students intellectually and personally. As part of this partnership, the school is holding a BEST SCHOOL YEAR EVER contest.
Inspired by Tourism Queensland’s “Best Job in the World” contest where thousands competed for an all-expense paid year as the caretaker of a tropical island, SMUS is offering a full year of boarding and tuition at the top-ranked boarding school.
An all-star panel of SMUS alumni – including Steve Nash- will be presiding over the contest. Joining the alums is SMUS student Ann Makosinki, who was recently named Top 30 under 30 by TIME magazine. This honour follows her win last year at Google's global science fair for her human-powered flashlight design.
“Boarding school is such an incredible educational experience,” says SMUS Head of School Bob Snowden. “It’s like being at a small college where you live with your professors on campus and are able to immerse yourself in your studies as well as develop close bonds with your fellow students.” It’s an experience he believes more North American high school students should have, which is why the school is promoting their first-ever full-year boarding scholarship in the form of a contest. “We want students to see a boarding school experience as something that’s accessible to them – both in terms of the cost and the application process.”
Any student entering grades 8-12 residing in Canada or the United States can enter to win their BEST SCHOOL YEAR EVER by submitting a short video and recent report cards. The winning student will spend the 2014-2015 school year at SMUS and will share their boarding experiences on the school blog.
Although the 2014 Best School Year Ever scholarship is for one year only, SMUS hopes that the recipient will want to continue as a boarding student after 2014-2015, when she or he will be eligible for SMUS’ standard merit scholarship and financial aid programs.
“We aren’t looking necessarily for the most brilliant academic, the most gifted athlete nor the most talented musician. What we want is a student who is ready to make the most of this experience so that 2014-2015 is truly a life-changing year for him or her,” says Mr. Snowden.
Ann Makosinski, experiencing a life-changing year herself, is looking forward to meeting the contest finalists and sharing some of her experiences. "SMUS teachers and students were so supportive of my project and my experience at the Google science fair. There’s an amazing learning environment at my school that I think lots of kids would really enjoy. I’m excited to be able to help pick the first winner of THE BEST SCHOOL YEAR EVER contest," she says.
The contest closes March 31st.
Learn more about the contest by visiting the contest website at www.BestSchoolYearEver.ca. You can learn more about St. Michaels University School on their website at www.smus.ca.