Students across the District continue to earn recognition – including on the global, local, and national stage – for their exceptional talents and dedication. What follows are some recent examples of their extraordinary achievements.
Best Chemistry Placement in the World and Two Skills Canada Winners
Aiden Kang from Alpha Secondary placed first in the world on a prestigious chemistry exam. The Grade 11 student was up against more than 1500 students from around the globe who took the University of Waterloo’s annual Chemistry 13 exam. The decades-long tradition for chemistry-loving high schoolers is offered every spring and encourages chemistry teaching world-wide. Two students are national medalists after competing at the Skills Canada National Competition held in Toronto from May 28-30. Burnaby South Secondary student Ji Han Um, from the Cisco Networking Academy, earned silver, and Cariboo Hill Secondary student Harkirat Vilku in the Auto Collision and Refinishing program took home the bronze medal. Both programs are among the many Programs of Choice offered in Burnaby Schools. More than 500 students and apprentices from across the country competed at the Skills Canada event for the title of national champion in more than 40 skill areas.
French Public Speakers Earn National Gold Medals
Two students from Moscrop Secondary earned National Gold Medal winners at Concours d’art oratoire, Canada’s largest French public-speaking competition. Grade 11 student Adora Chen and Grade 12 student Isabella Liao took the top honours at a competition at the end of June, after initially competing first at the district level, followed by the provincial event where the top students qualified for the national competition.
Student’s Innovation Earns National Ingenious Award
A Grade 12 student at Byrne Creek Community School has won a national award for her innovative and inclusive design. Miyo Macario created Sense the Way, which is a tactile navigation system to help blind and visually impaired people move more easily through indoor spaces. Miyo received $10,000 for winning the Ingenious+ National Award from the Rideau Hall Foundation in the Equity and Inclusion category. Largely conceived through her research at homes for the blind in Manila, the financial award enables Miyo to continue expanding Sense the Way into assisted living facilities and community spaces in the Philippines and Canada. Miyo came up with idea after watching family who were losing their sight have difficulty moving in hallways and rooms that had once been familiar.
Two Schools Take Third Place in National Music Contest
Children from Capitol Hill Elementary and Second Street Community School have earned third place in their categories in a prestigious national music contest entered by thousands across Canada. In the CBC Music Class Challenge, Capitol Hill’s choir placed third in the Intermediate category for Grades 5 to 8 for their performance of mitêh by Sherryl Sewepagaham. Watch it here. Second Street’s original song in the category for children in Kindergarten to Grade 4 won third place. You can see their performance of “If I Was in Charge of the World” here.
Drama Students Compete on the National Stage
Alpha Secondary students, who earned a spot after competing at regionals, took the stage at National STAR Fest West. Held from May 21-23 at the University of British Columbia, the national competition is adjudicated and put on by the Theatrical Arts Education Association. Grade 10 students Sebastian Morris and Celes Ritchie earned “advanced” recognition for their performance of “17” from Heathers. Celes, Danna Colmont, Carmen Chan, Kayla Nguyen, Bronwyn Gardiner and Elayne Vishaal – all in Grade 10 – performed “Ex-Wives” from Six, earning “advanced” recognition. Sebastian additionally earned “advanced” recognition for performing “Don’t Let Me Go” from Shrek the Musical.
Environmental Awards From City of Burnaby
Several people earned awards from the City of Burnaby for their work in Burnaby Schools supporting the environment. Grade 11 Burnaby Mountain student Jade Lai won an Environmental Award in the youth category. After publishing a book called Mr. Mountain Meets Ms. Ocean, she offered workshops at elementary schools and community centres in Burnaby. She also donated copies of the book to local public and school libraries. Students with disabilities or diverse abilities in Burnaby Central Secondary’s Access Program were celebrated with an Environmental Star Award for their part in a school-wide recycling initiative. By diverting recyclable materials from waste, participants gained a sense of responsibility and pride in making a tangible contribution to both their school community and environmental sustainability. Cariboo Hill Secondary teacher, Ms. Sadowski, earned an Environmental Star Award for her work guiding the school’s Green Team. Under her mentorship, the club met twice a week to lead school-wide environmental initiatives and cultivate a school garden. Learn more about all the award winners here.
Students Earn Youth Awards From City of Burnaby
As part of Youth Week, the City of Burnaby celebrates young citizens who make a positive impact though volunteering, leading, supporting, or inspiring others. Of the more than 50 award winners for 2026, the top five received a $100 bursary. They are: Grade 11 student Jade Cheuk Wing Lai from Burnaby Mountain Secondary, Grade 11 student Jaxon Fryling from Alpha Secondary, Grade 12 student Miyo Micario at Byrne Creek Community School, Grade 12 student Sanvi Gupta from Alpha Secondary, and Grade 12 student Victoria Ocampo from Byrne Creek Community School. The winners were invited to an awards ceremony with presentations by Mayor Mike Hurley on May 8.
Student Illustrates Published Book
A Grade 8 student at Burnaby North Secondary and a support worker in the Learning Pathways Bridge Program collaborated to make a children’s book called Wings for Me and Wings for You. Student Yukio Lai created beautiful visuals that highlight the powerful impact of supportive relationships and complemented the text by Youth Engagement Support Worker Ji Eun Moon.
Students’ Skills Showcased in Local News Outlet
Two students’ skills were recently showcased in local media outlet, Freshet News. Grade 7 Gilmore Elementary student Odin van Heerden was featured for placing third on the national yo-yo championship stage in the junior division. The self-taught 12-year-old made it to the US National Yo-yo Contest. See the article and learn more here. After being selected for the print publication in a holiday story writing contest in Freshet News last December, a Burnaby North Secondary student was invited to write a regular youth-focused opinion column for the paper. Grade 11 student Sydney Bastien’s first column was published in June. Read it here.
Posted & Updated June 2026