This summer BCSS Class of 2014 graduate Josh Stimpson hopes to secure a part-time position, possibly in Kelowna or maybe at Big White.
He plans to attend the University of Victoria this September—in fact he’s already been awarded a $20,000 entrance award from UVic based on the secondary school grades that he submitted through a process called self-reporting, where he records his grades to the university online.
“On my grades alone, they offered me a $20,000 entrance award.” He explained that students going into UBC must report their grades; while at UVic you only need to report if you’re competing for an entrance award.
“I hope to get a Bachelor of Science in probably chemistry and hopefully go into chemistry or physics. In about 10 years I want to be somewhere where there is some research science going on.
“I think my experience here at BCSS has been quite special,” Josh said. “I am very fortunate to have attended this school. The small class sizes were just great.”
Josh refers to his growth since coming to BCSS in Grade 8 is “quite phenomenal.”
“I was a shy person; I still am but I think I’ve grown more out of my shell in that I have become more involved with my peers and with the school community. I participated more in sports and in clubs such as Spirit Club.”
He says he loved all the teachers at the school; and he started to say he loved all his courses. “But I am a science - social studies - history guy,” he confessed.
He pronounced a long list of interests outside of school: hiking, biking, canoeing, reading (novels, science fiction and military thrillers), music, drums, politics, history science and weightlifting.
It doesn’t sound like he’s going to get bored anytime soon.
“I love biking, but not mountain biking, just casual biking; and I enjoy running— it takes my mind off things and helps me relax. I like soccer. I’m not very good at it, but I still like it.
“I love all those sports but I really love canoeing. I took up canoeing just a few years ago and I’ve really gotten a grasp of it. My dad is an expert canoeist. He is very good at it and he showed me how a few summers ago.”
Josh, a straight A student, scored 100 per cent on social studies Grade 9 through 11 and he scored 99 per cent on the Social Studies 11 provincial exam.
He lives in Carmi and of his 156-kilometre bus ride to and from school each day he says, “It’s a pretty fair hike, but I think I am getting used to it.”
When asked to list his strengths Josh somewhat stoically mentioned the “ability to overcome the daily challenge of a 156-kilometre round trip to school.” In fact, he mentioned the length of that bus ride three or four times in his exit interview file.
It was a challenge to be sure, but one that he met; Josh has a nearly perfect attendance record in his five years at BCSS.