When Haley Lingelbach heard about the Governor General’s Award for academic excellence and witnessed the life-changing experience of a former awardee, she knew she had to attain the coveted and prestigious title. Two years later with her heart set on the award, a sense of euphoria and a pulsation that permeated her entire being, Haley copped the award with the highest cumulative academic average for grades eleven and twelve.
As an executive member of the Student Representative Council and part time employee at the Southern Plains Co-op, Haley’s award was a gentle reminder that she had the potential to do great things with her life and a passion to strive for nothing less. For Haley, attaining this award was more rewarding than her dream of being Valedictorian; after all for her this was an even better blessing and she beamed with pride for having received it.
But high school was never an easy path, the roller-coaster experience adequately prepared her for life after high school, coupled with the holistic education that was offered at ECS. Balancing the social and academic aspects to maintain an excellent GPA was inevitably part of the rigours of academic excellence. According to Haley, she made her academic life her social life, and in so doing, made new friends through various activities and school initiatives; thus allowing her to have fun while still completing her work.
Undoubtedly, there were challenges associated with her quest for academic and personal excellence and that meant making sacrifices to pursue her dreams. Many times we sometimes over look some of the challenges that students face in the pursuit of excellence and Haley was evidently not spared any challenges. “I found myself very tired and stressed out a lot of the time. I usually had sports five days a week, my job the other two days and then school work on top of that. There wasn’t really a lot of time for me to sit around and do nothing. I found myself waking up early in the morning and staying up extra late at night just to get my regular homework done. I had to learn right from grade nine how to manage my time well.”
Like many students, there were also those moments when the pressures of academia seemed too overwhelming, but the support of family and the desire to make them proud propelled her to excel. Haley is a firm believer that time management is crucial to one’s success and is beneficial as one enjoys their educational sojourn. ”You don’t want to learn to manage your time on top of that (classes), because it is very easy to fall behind if you are not careful.”
The eighteen year old now attributes her ability to enjoy the challenges of University life to the experiences garnered at ECS. The holistic approach to education was the framework for time management and strengthening interpersonal relationships. Haley reminisces about her most memorable moments at ECS and recalls the trips she would take with her sports team. The idea of travelling together was thrilling and the bonds and friendships made would last a lifetime. “Because of ECS...I now know how to use my time wisely in Saskatoon. Also being involved with so many activities I really learned how to interact with other people, this is a great skill to have , for there are all kinds of different, new and interesting people at the University.” Haley also gives credit to the faculty at ECS and their constant motivation to achieve; words of encouragement that continue to mould and motivate her to achieve at the highest possible level.
Currently, Haley is enrolled in the Edward’s School of Business at the University of Saskatchewan pursuing a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Accounting. The avid lover of sports, whose philosophy is grounded on a spirit of competition, will pursue studies in Law in the future.
“I would just like to say that I am very honoured and thankful to have won the Governor General’s Award. I realize it is a tremendous privilege to have been selected, and I take great pride in this accomplishment.”