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Burnaby school board celebrates top academic grads of 2023

Burnaby winners of the 2023 Governor General's Bronze Academic Medal for secondary schools were announced at a board meeting Monday.
governor-general-medal-2023
The winners, clockwise from top left, are Kevin Low, École Moscrop, Annika Yong, École Cariboo Hill, Aashana Arora, Byrne Creek, Hope Luo, Burnaby South, Lindsay Goudron, Burnaby Central, Richard Min, Burnaby North, Katherine Mezei, Burnaby Mountain, and Ari Cholakian, École Alpha.

One Burnaby school trustee played the part of proud mom Monday night as the school district recognized the top 2023 academic grad from each of its eight high schools.

The Governor General’s Bronze Academic Medal for secondary schools is awarded to the grad with the highest average mark for all of his or her grade 11 and 12 courses.

Among this year’s recipients was Burnaby Mountain Secondary School grad Katherine Mezei, daughter of trustee Jen Mezei.

Mezei the younger is now studying chemical engineering at the University of Toronto, according to information presented at the meeting.

Other medal winners included École Alpha grad Ari Cholakian, now studying engineering at UBC.

Burnaby Central’s top scholar Lindsay Goudron is now studying at the University of Waterloo.

Burnaby North’s top grad Richard Min is in business at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Hope Luo, the medal winner for Burnaby South, is studying sciences at UBC to prepare for a career in health sciences.

Byrne Creek’s top academic student, Aashana Arora, is working on a psychology degree at UBC as a step towards law school.  

École Cariboo Hill winner Annika Yong is at SFU in the faculty of science in biomedical physiology and kinesiology, and continues to pursue her passion for sports.

And Kevin Low, École Moscrop’s top scholar, is studying computer sciences at UBC.

None of the grads were at the meeting in person, but most appeared virtually.

“Each of these recent graduates have demonstrated outstanding talent, dedication, work ethic and commitment,” superintendent Gina Niccoli-Moen said.

For more information about the district’s top scholars, including speeches presented by each student’s school principal, visit the school district website.

Follow Cornelia Naylor on Twitter @CorNaylor
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