A member of the Salmon Arm Silverbacks is among five league players named as winners of the Shaw B.C. Hockey League Scholarship Program.
Forward William Poirier is joined by Dawson Holt and Jackson Caller of the Vernon Vipers, Ethan O’Rourke of the Coquitlam Express and Travis Walton of the Nanaimo Clippers.
This scholarship is designed to provide current BCHL players the opportunity to apply for funds as they continue their academic careers.
After gathering submissions throughout the regular season, Shaw and the BCHL selected the five current players to donate a $2,000 Scholarship Award to attend a B.C. or other Canadian Post-Secondary Institution.
All five players are graduating from the league this season and are planning on continuing their education for years to come.
READ MORE: Salmon Arm Silverbacks gain forward from Quebec’s Major Junior League
“One of the key pillars of the BCHL is education and it’s programs like this that reinforce our commitment to providing our players with post-secondary opportunities,” said BCHL commissioner Chris Hebb. “These five players demonstrated an eagerness to continue their education after they move on from our league and are perfect examples of the type of high-quality people that come through the BCHL.”
The winners were selected based on their academic track record, their stated future career and education goals and their time spent in the BCHL.
“At its core, the BCHL has fostered the importance of education for all of its players from the time they join the league,” said Chethan Lakshman, vice president, external affairs, Shaw Communications. “All of the players have taken this to heart, and each of the athletes selected have shown determination, character and strength on and off the ice to achieve their goals. We are excited to recognize them as recipients of Shaw BCHL Scholarships and look forward to seeing what they accomplish in their post-secondary journey.”
In recent weeks, four of the five recipients have announced the programs that they’ve committed to. Only Caller has not committed.
Poirier will attend McGill University, Holt will attend the University of Saskatchewan, O’Rourke is headed to Dalhousie University, and Walton will play at Trinity Western University.
roger@vernonmorningstar.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.