Former St. Martin de Porres High School grad and current Simon Fraser University student Avry Krywolt is the 2023 recipient of the $1,000 Anne Beaty Memorial Scholarship from airdrielife magazine.“That’s so exciting! I can’t thank airdrieLife enough for their generosity through the Anne Beaty Memorial Scholarship,” gushed the young Airdronian, when informed he was the recipient. “The scholarship will help pay for my Sustainable Energy Engineering Degree, and I greatly appreciate this opportunity.“I have been interested in sustainability and renewable energy since early on in high-school. I feel it is the most prominent issue of our time and it is our responsibility as the next generation to take control over the future of our world and do our best to make a difference. I’m hoping to use my degree to build out renewable energy sources in developing countries where energy poverty is an even more prominent problem.”
The Anne Beaty Scholarship is awarded annually to any Alberta post-secondary student who is passionate about the written word and/or volunteerism. The scholarship is open to local high school students/graduates who demonstrate:
- Outstanding academic achievement
- Dedication to community
- Proven leadership skills
- They are entering into post-secondary studies or are currently enrolled in post secondary education
For Krywolt, it was his commitment to community and passion for helping others that made him stand out from the crowd.
As Head of Social Justice on the St. Martin de Porres Student Council for the 2021-2022 school year, he helped organize food drives within the school community, as well as the construction of family Christmas hampers during the holiday season. He also devoted my time to the celebration and engagement of the school community in important events such as TRC Day, Black History Month, Women in STEM, Pride Month, and Asian Heritage Month.
“My parents raised me in a household that prioritized community service and compassion for those less fortunate. It is thanks to their teachings that I have been involved in my community and humanitarian efforts since a young age. For over ten years, I participated in door-to-door canvassing for the Canadian Diabetes Association and Samaritan’s Purse Pack a Shoebox campaign. We have hosted gatherings at our house where we have filled up to 94 shoeboxes with toys and toiletries for children in developing countries.”
His volunteerism extends from people to the environment also.
“My true passion for volunteering arose when I discovered the field of climate change. After first learning about the devastating impact of climate change through a podcast, I knew I had to act.”
Krywolt devoted a full year to developing a presentation about climate change, renewable energy and sustainability called the Greenspace Movement, which he planned to take to schools across the province before COVID-19 rudely interrupted everyone’s plans. Not to be deterred, Krywolt switched gears and started his own podcast called Innovating a Bright Future, which is now two seasons, 40 episodes and thousands of downloads in at innovatingabrightfuture.com.
He’s an active member of the Alberta Youth Leaders for Environmental Education (AYLEE), having spoken at more than 20 conferences involving students, parents, teachers, principals, trustees, and political candidates and, in early 2021, led a six-person team that wrote a public report on the results of a provincial youth climate survey to show why climate change education should be better integrated into school curriculums.
The Anne Beaty Memorial Scholarship was created in 2017 by airdrielife publisher Sherry Shaw-Froggatt in memory of Beaty, part of the aridrielife family from 2010 to 2016. Beaty lived in Airdrie for more than 20 years, working in the media for much of that time, as well as at the Airdrie Public Library.
The scholarship is open to Alberta students pursuing a post-secondary education, with deadline to apply being June 30, 2023. For more information and to apply, visit airdrielife.com/community/anne-beaty-memorial-scholarship-for-journalism-and-communications.
