Graduating Oak Bay High student Sylvie Levesque has received a $700 scholarship to study visual arts at Camosun College this fall.
Oak Bay Community Artists Society president Flo-Elle Watson recently met the 17-year-old to hand over the award – the result of a competition one of the soon-to-be grad's art teachers nominated her for earlier this year.
“I didn't really expect to get [a scholarship], so I was super pleased that my art teacher recommended me, and I was very honoured,” said Levesque.
The student, who enjoys using acrylics to paint Vancouver Island landscapes, is looking forward to working with new materials at Camosun.
"I've never done clay before, so it'll be a whole new experience," she said.
She's also excited about the small classes her program boasts.
“High school is fun, but I personally haven't made strong connections with a group of people," added Levesque. "I'm hoping that since the classes are smaller, I can connect with people more, especially since we all like art."
While the student is set to graduate on June 19, this experience has helped boost her confidence in her work and creative skills.
“I think that it gave me a little bit of an opening that I could do more than I thought I could, and I have attributes that I didn't think I had,” she said. “I'll definitely take on and use that kind of optimism to help me in the future.”
To find out more about the Oak Bay Community Artists Society, visit: oakbayartists.com.
