P.E.I. student earns $110K scholarship for B.C. school

A high school student from eastern P.E.I. is heading to Pearson College, a pre-university school near Victoria, B.C., next year.

Carrsyn Haley, a Grade 11 student at Montague Regional, has a $110,000 scholarship to spend the next two years at the school.

"I was just so excited. This is one of the first times I've ever done something like this, so to even apply was an honour. So to get an interview and then get accepted I was thrilled," said Haley.

Pearson College is the country's only United World College school, one of 17 global schools dedicated to uniting cultures and countries. Its program attracts students from 150 countries.

'200 is more of my number'

That she landed at Pearson was something of a relief. Her application was to United World College, and she could have potentially been accepted at any of the 17 schools.

"Some of the schools are, like, 2,000 kids, and I come from Montague, so 200 is more of my number," she said.

"I get to know everybody and I get to learn a little bit about everybody."

It was Haley's interest in politics and community involvement that attracted her to United World College. As part of the International Baccalaureate program students spend a lot of time off campus volunteering in the community.

"It's not really like your typical high school because there's so many activities that go on daily. It's more about learning to connect with different cultures and being involved," she said.

Representing P.E.I.

This isn't Haley's first experience at a prestigious gig.

Last year she was one of 150 students from across Canada to go to Ottawa for a youth conference marking Canada's 150th birthday.

"It was amazing to hear how different each province is in like environmental aspects and economic aspects, but how similar each person was in the fact that they really cared about their community," she said.

Haley plans to focus on sciences in her studies and eventually pursue a career in medicine.

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