A good rant gets great ratings for Rick Mercer, but a Thamesville student turned her rant into cash.
Lambton Kent Composite School student Carrie-Anne Bauer was the grand prizewinner of a $3,000 leadership rant scholarship from Main Street Credit Union.
Runner up with a $1,000 prize was UCC student Maylee Bossy.
Bauer accepted her prise June 20 at Mainstreet Credit Union from Mainstreet CEO Janet Grantham and executive vice-president of sales and service Shawn Bustin.
One of several scholarships offered by Mainstreet, the Rant program is in its third year, and Grantham said the concept was developed to respond to the fact kids are more savvy these days about videos.
Chatham Mazda from Chatham Voice on Vimeo.
“It was a way to really connect with the students and offer something different,” Grantham said.
The winning video by Bauer was picked after a committee picked the top entries.
“We received around 30 video submissions and the quality of the video and the passion Carrie-Anne displayed – it was unique and there was not another one like it.”
Bauer’s topic for her rant was the lack of hope in today’s society and how if the heroes of generations past had abandoned hope, our society would not be where it is today. Her winning submission and others can be seen at the bottom of this story.
When Bauer was a youngster, she started Bracelets for Hope after hearing about the plight of the poor in Third World countries and has since raised thousands of dollars for the Village of Hope.
“I got to go over to Africa and see the Village of Hope and the difference it makes,” Bauer said. “When you have hope, it changes everything.”
The scholarship will help Bauer when she heads to Wilfred Laurier University in the fall to take global studies.
Runner up Maylee Bossy will be attending Carleton University in the fall.
Both students will be recognized for their scholarship awards at their high school graduation ceremonies.
