Natasha Jollymour is part of a very small group of chosen students. The Grade 12 Kamloops student at Westsyde Secondary school just received a $80,000 scholarship to attend the University of British Columbia this fall.

She’s one of only 10 students across the country to receive this year's Centennial Leaders Scholarship.

Jollymour, who just graduated, explains that the scholarship is for academically qualified students with lots of leadership and volunteer experience who might not be able to attend UBC without financial assistance.

What’s the key to her success and her excellent grades? It’s simple – hard work.

“I actually do about three hours of homework every night,” she explains. With that kind of commitment, even her parents sometimes push Natasha to carve out more free time. Somehow, she has still managed to volunteer at Kamloops Regional Hospital for the past two years and also volunteered at a summer camp last summer.

Anyone who struggled with math in high school might not want to know that, last year, in Grade 11, Jollymour got an almost unheard of 100% in pre-calculus.

As she anticipates the fall and UBC, Natasha is looking forward to meeting all the other students.

“I’m really excited and thinking ahead to a new atmosphere for learning,” she says.

Learn more about student success stories in B.C.