Eighteen-year-old Emily Herle demonstrates that hard work and discipline do pay off. The Ladysmith teen was awarded a $28,000 scholarship to Trinity Western University, where she will start first-year studies this fall.
“I was really, really happy because I was really excited to go to Trinity Western but it is a bit more expensive, so when I saw that I got that scholarship, it would help me to be able to go,” said Herle.
To qualify for this scholarship, Herle’s grade point average had to be above 90 per cent. She says that hours of studying helped her get amazing marks.
“I do really well if I read it and take notes and then read it some more,” she said. “Just meticulous studying, but it depends on the course. I just did an AP (advanced placement) literature course, and it took three to four hours a day.”
To keep her scholarship, Herle must maintain a high average at university. But this homeschooler says she already has the necessary skills to excel at school.
“I have been home schooled all my life, so I’m used to having to work at my own pace and figure out things on my own,” she said. “Throughout my school, I’ve had pretty good grades, but if I can continue at the rate I’ve been going, I should do OK. It’s a different environment at university, but I hope it will be a better environment.”
Trinity Western University, which is located in Langley, is a Christian-based university and is Canada’s largest privately-funded university. For Herle, the faith aspect of the school is just as important as the academics.
“It is a Christian university and that’s really important to me,” she said. “Especially since I’m going into human kinetics, which has to do with the human body and I want to learn about it from a Christian perspective of bodies created and not just by chance by evolution.”
Herle will major in human kinetics, and she hopes to become a physiotherapist.
“I like to study things that I like. I really liked my biology course this year, which will be good for university,” she said. “I’m really excited for my human kinetics courses at Trinity Western because they look really neat.”
While leaving home might be hard, Herle is ready to embrace the world and her new adventure on the mainland.
“I’m just really excited!” she said. “I think it will be challenging to fit all the work in that needs to be done and dealing with that and transitioning, and of course I’ll miss my family. I hope to visit on the weekends sometimes.”