Newmarket student Maya Rulens said having a teacher for a mother really pushed her to achieve at school.
As she wrapped up her grade school days at Newmarket High School, she said making an extra effort to take Grade 12 courses in Grade 11, for more spare time in Grade 12 , really paid off.
It resulted in her achieving a 99.6 per cent average.
“It’s one I wouldn’t have accomplished without so many people helping me,” Rulens said. “I have such good teachers and friends and, obviously, my family.”
Rulens was one of three Newmarket-area students who made the York Region District School Board’s top scholars list. The annual awards go to the top-performing graduating students each year, with every winner this year having a 99.6 per cent average or higher.
Newmarket High School student Charlotte Burdon also achieved that mark, putting herself on the top scholars list.
She said that it was an honour to receive the recognition.
“I worked really hard through high school, so I’m happy it’s paying off and I’m also happy to represent my school in a positive way,” she said, crediting her success to taking courses she was passionate about. “I also think keeping busy throughout the school year was something that helped me manage my time better.”
Ronson Zhao of Sir William Mulock Secondary School was the third top scholar for Newmarket this year, with an average of 99.67, but could not be reached before publication time.
The other top scholars on the YRDSB list of six are Martin Baldwin of Pierre Elliott Trudeau High School in Markham, Amey Lawrence of Richmond Hill High School, both with averages of 99.67 and a student in Thornhill who withheld their name, with an average of 99.6.
“Congratulations to this year’s top scholars on their remarkable achievements,” board chair Ron Lynn said in a news release. “Student achievement is a top priority and their success reflects our board’s commitment to academic excellence.”
This is the first time in several years that a Newmarket student has achieved the top scholar list for YRDSB, with the last one in 2020-21, and only for one Newmarket student as opposed to this year's three.
Burdon plans to attend Sir Wilfred Laurier University to study business administration, also earning a scholars award from the university, which can provide up to $40,000 toward her degree. She said she wanted to get into business to collaborate with others.
“Business is a great area of work if you are more of a people person,” she said. “It’s such a diverse field. I can have a lot of possibilities after university.”
Rulens said her goal is to become a speech-language pathologist and will be attending the University of Ottawa for a joint degree in psychology and linguistics.
“I would love to work in hospitals for people recovering from illnesses like strokes,” she said. “I have people in my life who have used speech therapists before and who have always talked about how wonderful they are … that’s what I want to do. I want to be able to say I made a difference in people’s lives.”
Director of education Bill Cober said this year's top scholars worked hard and deserve to be recognized.
“YRDSB students are among the highest performing in the province. Thank you to the wonderful educators who have worked to support them in their studies.”
