South Asian students from Surrey dominated the 2022 Cmolik Foundation scholarships with six of the eight students from the City from the dominant South Asian community. The Surrey scholarship recipients include Guildford Park Secondary students Ria Laura and Allan Pham, Kwantlen Park Secondary student Rose Kajal and L.A. Matheson Secondary student Manreet Sandhu. Joining them are Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary student Sukhman Dhillon, Princess Margaret Secondary student Sumaiyah Khokhar, Queen Elizabeth Secondary student Emily Hernandez and Semiahmoo Secondary student Sanjana Karthik. 

By DESIBUZZCanada Staff With News Files

SURREY – South Asian students from Surrey dominated the 2022 Cmolik Foundation scholarships with six of the eight students from the City from the dominant South Asian community.

The Surrey scholarship recipients include Guildford Park Secondary students Ria Laura and Allan Pham, Kwantlen Park Secondary student Rose Kajal and L.A. Matheson Secondary student Manreet Sandhu. Joining them are Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary student Sukhman Dhillon, Princess Margaret Secondary student Sumaiyah Khokhar, Queen Elizabeth Secondary student Emily Hernandez and Semiahmoo Secondary student Sanjana Karthik. 

The 2022 Cmolik scholarships recipients were announced Monday (May 16), and according to the foundation, it awards up to 20 undergraduate scholarships each year for students graduating from BC high schools.

Ria Laura, who plans to go to Simon Fraser University for a bachelor’s degree in business administration, by doing the sustainable business joint major, and then major in finance with the ultimate goal of law school is not only an exceptional student but even more exceptional person, according to her social studies teacher, Brent Schieve.

 “She is thoughtful, considerate, and caring towards everyone in our diverse Guildford Park community. She is driven to succeed and seems to let nothing stop her in her pursuits to become a better person and help shape a better world,” Schieve said.

At Kwantlen Park, Rose Kajal will be using her $40,000 to complete a bachelor’s and master’s degree in psychology at SFU “to contribute to society as a pediatric psychologist,” reported Surrey Now-Leader newspaper.

“I am drawn to the field of psychology after experiencing first-hand the importance of mental health.”

L.A. Matheson’s Manreet Sandhu plans to pursue her interested in science and molecular biology through a medical degree at SFU.

“I have a strong interest in both science and psychology and hope to solve problems using my knowledge base and scientific skill set,” said Sandhu, adding she ultimately hopes to attend a Canadian medical school to specialize in psychiatry.

Sukhman Dhillon, a Lord Tweedsmuir student, has a goal of pursuing a bachelor of science with a major in biology at SFU, and then attending medical school.

At Princess Margaret, Sumaiyah Khokhar is another recipient and she plans to use the scholarship for a kinesiology degree from Capilano University and then pursue a master’s in physiotherapy from UBC.

Sanjana Karthik, a student at Semiahmoo, plans to pursue a sociology degree and then a master’s in restorative justice.

Meanwhile, the Cmolik Foundation announced in April that three former Surrey school district alumni each received $30,000-scholarships to pursue graduate studies, reported Now-Leader newspaper.