Meet the 2021 Recipients of the Bright Futures Scholarship

The Library’s vibrant and quality programming for children is made possible with the help and the dedication of student volunteers. Their passion and support in mentoring younger students makes these programs come alive, leaving a lasting positive impact on both participants and volunteers.

2020 brought unexpected challenges and put a pause on many volunteer opportunities. The Library is incredibly grateful for its dedicated volunteers who have waited patiently while opportunities were suspended, and we appreciate their eagerness to return to the Library.

The Bright Futures Scholarship provides three scholarships, one valued at $3,500 and two valued at $1,000 each to young Library volunteers who are committed, enthusiastic, and take initiative in their volunteer roles.

The scholarship is made possible by a gift from Barbara Killick, formerly a senior staff member at Calgary Public Library, and witness to the positive impact made by young volunteers on the lives of Calgarians.

Meet the 2021 recipients of the Bright Futures Scholarship:

Rachael Peng ($3,500 scholarship)

A committed volunteer with the Library since 2016, Rachael finds teaching STEM concepts through Library programs highly rewarding. Volunteering with the Library has spurred her personal growth and motivated her to volunteer in other organizations, like Youth Central’s Youth Volunteer Corps, where she volunteers as a co-chair executive. Rachael was also inspired by the Library’s Math Quest program to continue teaching STEM skills to students, and now works in a leadership volunteer role in Stem Fellowship. Rachael is excited to continue fostering a love of learning in youth while she pursues Engineering in her post-secondary education.

Chaitanya Kumar Mahajan ($1,000 scholarship)

Chaitanya has been a dedicated volunteer with the Library since he was 12 years old. His enthusiasm for coding and science first prompted him to start volunteering with the Library’s Coding Buddies program, which launched him on a meaningful journey of volunteering in a variety of other Library programs and events. Through these programs, he discovered the joy of helping kids understand and apply new scientific concepts. Chaitanya is moving to Ontario to attend the University of Toronto’s Physics program, where he hopes to teach science and math to kids whose education has been affected by COVID-19.

Kayden Ruda ($1,000 scholarship)

Kayden is an enthusiastic and engaged volunteer who enjoys helping with programs like Reading Buddies, Coding Buddies, and Math Quest. Logging over 350 volunteer hours with the Library, Kayden often adopted a leadership role in his programs, acting as a mentor to less experienced volunteers. Volunteering at the Library inspired him to take on an active volunteer role in other community organizations, including WinSport. His volunteer efforts have been recognized with a feature in the Library’s former publication Library Connect, the 2019 Western Legacy Award for Youth, and by being selected to participate in the Global Encounters Program India. Kayden looks forward to finding more opportunities to volunteer in university as he pursues Actuarial Science and Business.

Congratulations to this year’s winners! Applications for the 2022 Bright Futures Scholarship will open next spring.

As Library programs grow and change, our volunteer needs change as well. Visit calgarylibrary.ca/volunteer to view upcoming volunteer opportunities.