Simar Disanjh—Community Service Award Winner 

Surrey’s Queen Elizabeth Secondary student, Simar Disanjh, is on a mission!  Living with Celiac disease, an autoimmune condition, has led her to do much research on the subject.  Along the way she learned that South Asians were particularly skeptical about eating gluten-free food.  So Simar made the decision to be proactive and established a gluten-free table at her Temple!

Here are some of the many other community projects Simar has worked on:

• a website to reach out to other Celiacs to spread awareness of the disease
• a food drive where 500 gluten-free food items were collected and re-distributed to low-income families with gluten restrictions
• founded Pathways to Health Care, a club to teach her fellow students about jobs in the medical field
• has volunteered over 100 hours with Pathways to Health Care, helping raise $1,200.00 which was donated to 4 non-profits
• volunteered 20 hours at Nordel Crossing Dental Centre sterilizing equipment, etc. and was allowed to observe the dentists working 
• chosen to gain work experience at Surrey Memorial Hospital as a Health Care Assistant (only 10 Surrey students are selected and it is a most sought after training opportunity)
• volunteered 168 hours at West Coast Kids Cancer Foundation
• volunteered 45 hours with Amenida Senior Centre, assisting seniors with everyday activities
• since grade 10, volunteered 215 hours at Surrey’s Parks and Recreation as:
  • • Camp assistant, interacting with campers
    • Reading Buddy, mentoring kids in the reading classes
    • a Surrey Youth Steward, planting trees, uprooting invasive plants, picking up garbage and doing work that would benefit the environment

Qudrat Aujla, West Coast Kids Cancer Foundation, Mental Health Resource Coordinator, writes: “Simar has strong leadership skills; problem-solving skills; is a team player and a strong communicator; and is committed to excellence”.

And lastly, Simar’s physics teacher, Aman Lal, says Simar was the top student in his class for five years!  He also shared that Simar was a member of the school’s Cross Country Ski Team for the past 3 years, and does traditional Punjabi Dancing at community events!

Stan Hortness, Simar Disanjh, Aubery Searle