A student with extensive involvement in Point Edward sports has received this year's Maynard and Rene Walker Family Scholarship.
Jaxon Lucas, a graduate of Sacred Heart Catholic School and St. Patrick's Catholic High School, has been awarded the scholarship, which provides $10,000 US over two years of post-secondary education.
Jaxson Lucas Photo provided by the Village of Point Edward.
The Village of Point Edward said Lucas has volunteered with boys and girls Silver Stick tournaments since Grade 7 and served as a statistician and assistant equipment manager for the Point Edward Pacers lacrosse team.
Lucas has also volunteered as an on-ice helper with the Point Edward Minor Hockey Association.
“I was very thrilled to learn that I was this year’s recipient of the Maynard and Rene Walker Family Scholarship,” said Lucas. “My experiences growing up in the Village of Point Edward have been very positive and I have enjoyed having the opportunity to both learn from, and contribute to, what makes our community a wonderful place to be. I would like to thank the entire Walker family for this honour, and it is my goal to return here after completing my education in order to make further contributions to Point Edward and the surrounding area.”
The village said Lucas has completed over 550 hours of volunteer time through his different ventures, which also included scorekeeping for the Point Boys Two Pitch and Point Edward Ball Hockey leagues and raising money for the Inn of the Good Shepherd and St. Joseph's Hospice through the Point Edward Gold Maple Syrup Project.
Lucas works part-time at the Sarnia Golf and Curling Club and is planning to attend Wilfrid Laurier University in the fall for kinesiology.
He hopes to become a chiropractor one day.
The scholarship was established in 2017.
Maynard Walker, a former village fire chief, was born in Point Edward in 1926 and lived on the same street there until he died in 2014. Rene moved to the village from Sarnia when she married Maynard in 1949 and was active at the village's Presbyterian church until she died in 2017.
“I continue to be excited by the quality of candidates for the Walker Scholarship each year,” said their daughter Mary Ellen Walker. “It continually gives me great hope when I see the commitment of our young people and their willingness to make our world a better place provides inspiration to me, as well as hope that we have a bright future."
Applicants are judged on a number of things, including their contributions to the Village of Point Edward, high school grades, financial need and the student’s financial contribution to their own education.