Wiens wins $70,000 scholarship

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This article was published 29/05/2014 (4070 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Steinbach Regional Secondary School student Evan Wiens just got back from a trip to Ottawa, returning home with his future university plans a lot more sound.

In recognition of his commitment to his community, TD Bank Group has awarded a TD Scholarship for Community Leadership valued up to $70,000.

The bank recognized Wiens for the obstacles he faced when initiating a Gay-Straight Alliance at his school last year. Wiens has now established a GSA at the SRSS and has already received accolades for his efforts. The teen served as an Honorary Grand Marshall of the Pride Parade in Winnipeg last summer.

The Steinbach teen was among 20 students, selected from a crop of 3,500, to receive the award.

Each scholarship includes tuition at any accredited university or college in Canada, $7,500 a year for living expenses, summer employment within TD Bank Group for up to four years, and mentorship and networking opportunities.

“It took a while for it to really set in,” Wiens said. “I don’t really know how to express how happy I am.”

Wiens applied back in November, first qualified in the top 80, before finding out he had been selected for the award. He’s the lone award winner from Manitoba.

Students were awarded nationally for activism in a number of areas. The change they bring to their community has to have a lasting impact and Wiens believes he’s done that with the gay-straight alliance, though discrimination still exists.

Wiens has been accepted to the University of Winnipeg where he plans to study political science but has his hopes set on heading to perhaps University of British Columbia or McGill in the future.

“I’ve always been interested in politics,” he said, noting that his interest goes back to the last federal election, before he was thrust into the political limelight himself last year.

Wiens says he was pleased to be recognized at the event in Ottawa.

“That was the first time that I felt proud of myself,” he said.

It has reaffirmed the confidence he has in his own views, though others still don’t always agree.

“I can still feel the judgment,” he says, “but the actual bullying has died out.”

Wiens says the gay-straight alliance group is going well at the regional school. He notes that its membership is mostly grade 12 members, so he’s hopeful that younger students will take the lead in the group, as he and others head for graduation next month. He is pleased to have laid the foundation for the group’s continued existence at the SRSS.