A Summerland Secondary School student is one of 80 finalist for the Loran Scholars Foundation award.
Dan Nixon, a Grade 12 student, was selected from an initial pool of 4,273 candidates.
He will be in Toronto when the awards are announced on Feb. 5 and 6.
At that time, a total of 30 will receive the Loran Award, worth $100,000. If he is not selected, he is eligible to receive a $3,000 finalist award.
The awards are given to candidates who show character, commitment to service in the community and leadership potential.
“I have a lot of opportunities to grow in the coming years. I think they saw that,” he said.
Nixon has worked on service initiatives in the past.
In elementary school, Nixon raised money and participated in the Critteraid Mutt Strut.
In high school, he has been involved in a number of initiatives.
He planned a school assembly on mental wellness and started a peer listening program.
He also co-founded a group which works to raise awareness of epilepsy.
He serves on the youth advisory committee for a provincial mental health resource centre, helps to organize a talent show and coaches swimming.
“There’s no greater joy than seeing my actions or my words make someone feel better about themselves,” he said.
He plans to continue humanitarian or service work in the future.