Moose Jaw Central Collegiate Alumni

Liv Erickson Wins Top
Scholarship To U of S

Written by Ryan Vincent
Monday, Mar 20 2023
Discover Moose Jaw

Central Collegiate senior, Liv Erickson, has been awarded one of the Best and Brightest Entrance Scholarships to the University of Saskatchewan.

The George and Marsha Ivany President's First and Best Scholarship is awarded based on academics, leadership and contributions to the school and community, to a student from a Canadian high school with a 95 per cent average or higher.

Erickson is one of five students to be awarded the scholarship and will receive $40,000 towards her schooling over the course of four years at the U of S.

“I feel amazing,” she says. “I always felt really drawn to U of S for so many reasons, and it really felt like [the scholarship] solidified my decision clearly, and it’s gotten me really excited about going to university... I’m really pumped about it, it’s an awesome thing to receive.”

She currently has a 96 per cent average and has made numerous contributions to the community.

“In my written application, I talked about starting an environmental club at my high school, as well as getting involved in some other youth climate activism groups in Regina. Also, I spoke about my executive role in SLC (Student Leadership Council). I’m the Head of Fundraising so I plan a lot of fundraisers for our school.”

Erickson is the Central Collegiate representative on the Youth Advisory Committee for the Moose Jaw City Council. The Youth Advisory Committee speaks about situations and issues in Moose Jaw that youth face and tries to come up with solutions to present to the city council.

She also volunteered as a coach for the “Girls in the Game” organization.

“They focus on encouraging young girls to stay in sports and encouraging self-confidence and strength, both mentally and physically,” she adds.

Erickson plans on going into the Faculty of Arts and Science for a degree in the Environment and Society program with a certificate in sustainability.

“I’m just passionate about climate action and I think that having an education in that field is what's going to make you a better leader. If you know what you’re talking about, you can act properly and be fit for any role, whether that's in politics or in any other sort of policy-making area. Even if that’s working on projects in sustainability, or research, or education, I think you really need to know what you’re talking about to be able to make a greater impact.”

September 11, 2017

Central Collegiate Mourns Loss of Scott Williamson

Central Collegiate is mourning the loss of Scott Williamson today.

Williamson, a long-time teacher, was principal at the Moose Jaw high school, but spent the last several months fighting a battle with cancer.

Williamson passed away Friday, with word spreading over the weekend.

"For both students and staff it's a pretty sad moment," said Central Vice-Principal Lonny Holmes, who explained steps have been taken to help those who are struggling with the news of Williamson's passing.

"We made sure the counselling pieces were in place," Holmes stated. "We just try to treat every individual student in a way that suits their needs. It's different for every student and every teacher. We're just trying to manage as well as we can."

Central fielded football and soccer teams for the first weekend of high school athletics on Saturday, with Holmes saying he was proud of the efforts put forth under the circumstances.

"They're a little unsure how to react because it's always in the back of your mind," he said. "But Scott was a student-first person, and they understand he would want them to continue on and battle as hard as they can."

In the spring, a series of fundraising events were held, and t-shirts were sold, under the moniker "#TeamScott" - with all proceeds earmarked for a scholarship under Williamson's name. Holmes says those efforts will not end.

"The Team Scott legacy, hopefully we can continue on and look at focusing on the scholarship and the students the same way Scott did in his career," he explained, adding "we're going to look at spending time with Scott's family and discuss what the qualifications (for the scholarship) are. We are hoping to award it come spring, for grad 2018."

According to the school, a celebration of Scott's life will be held September 17 at the Hildebrand Chapel in Caronport.