Local Student Gets $70K Scholarship

Post-secondary school is going to be a little easier for one Leamington District Secondary School Student after he earned an up to $70,000 scholarship from TD Bank. Carlos Pena Vallecillo is among 20 students across Canada to receive the award for his achievements in community leadership. "I think what really allowed me to win this scholarship was my passion for the environment," says Pena Vallecillo. Last year when algae blooms were prominent in Lake Erie causing beach closures and unsafe drinking water Pena Vallecillo led his school's EcoTeam to hold a community summit. The summit's aim was to raise awareness about what causes the algae bloom and what residents can do to help the problem. Pena Vallecillo was also responsible for starting a new Canadian outreach program at his school to help new students adjust to their surroundings. "I realized that there were a lot of new Canadians, especially ones who spoke Spanish, that came to my school and I felt like they didn't have anyone to really help them throughout high school," said Pena Vallecillo. "I'd show them around the school, their locker, their classes and help them get adapted." Pena Vallecillo invited other students to participate in the ambassador program after recognizing there were other new students in the school that he could not help because of a different language barrier. The TD Bank Group recognized these accomplishments by awarded him the $70,000 scholarship for post-secondary education. Pena Vallecillo is enrolled in Ottawa University in the fall where he will major in political science with a minor in biology or environmental science. Pena Vallecillo says he hopes to one day enter the world of politics. "It makes my future a lot easier to pursue, things I want to do. Not everybody is born into a family that is very wealthy and able to afford school," said Pena Vallecillo. "Knowing that that's not a burden I feel that I am a lot more free to experience the things I want to in university and not have to worry about working part-time."