Churchill teen wins “Canada’s Luckiest Student” prize

​A Churchill High School student has been revealed as the winner of Canada's Luckiest Student, a major nationwide contest hosted by Student Life Network (SLN).

SLN representatives sprung the big news on student Ben Westmore during a visit to Churchill on June 11. Ben learned that he would be getting a prize bundle valued over $60,000.

The prize package is anchored by a $20,000 scholarship from CIBC, along with other prizes to help cover the cost of tuition, rent, travel, clothing, groceries and more. SLN partners that were among the prize donors include ScholarshipsCanada, H&R Block, Contiki, AIR MILES, Spotify, H&M, Burl's Creek, Student Works, GoodLife Fitness, Rexall,Monster, Narcity, and The Bullet.

With the cameras rolling, SLN representative Amanda Barbosa gave Ben the good news; the Grade 11 student was able to celebrate the moment with students in his Leadership class and his family, who were brought in to help with the surprise.

“It honestly hasn’t sunk in yet, my legs still aren’t working properly,” Ben laughed. “At first I didn’t think it was real…with the opportunities that this will give me, this is just so exciting. When I entered this contest, I didn’t think I really had a chance at winning.”

Even though Ben is in Grade 11, he has already put considerable thought into his post-high career path.  

“I already know I want to go into post-secondary education. I want to go to UBC, and I know I’ll need financial help to do that,” Ben said. “I tried to look into scholarships early to give myself the best shot at getting some.”

Ben is still contemplating either studying in engineering or pursuing a course path towards a law degree.

Student Life Network is a resource community that connects students to scholarships, life changing opportunities, skill-building workshops and more. Churchill was one of several stops SLN has made across the country to discuss scholarship options with students.