Congratulations to our Community Service Awards Recipients for 2026

This year we had quite a few students applying who impressed us with their community-minded volunteerism, initiative and ambitions. As usual, the cream rose to the top and we thought that these four – all from Vancouver – best represent the qualities we look for. It was difficult to condense their achievements into these brief descriptions. You’ll see they have things in common.

Here they are, in alphabetical order:

Anisabonu Abduhamedova – Britannia Secondary

Anisa’s activities have focused on environmental action, youth engagement and building inclusive communities. She has volunteered with the Roundhouse Youth Council and has been a representative for the Citywide Youth Council for three years. She led initiatives such as a winter clothing drive. As a Food Ambassador, she helped secure grant funding and organize an event to bring together youth from diverse background to support newcomers. She led STEM outreach, organizing workshops reaching over 200 students to make STEM more accessible and inclusive, which was recognized with a national Outreach and Education Award.

Anisa has worked with the City of Vancouver’s Building Safer Communities Program, first as a Youth Action Committee member, then as a Youth Voice Ambassador, and now serves on the Youth Advisory Team. She co-facilitates engagement sessions with youth groups across Vancouver and contributes to recommendations to the City.

As president of the Green Club, she leads recycling initiatives to collect bottles and raise funds to support environmental projects, as well as organizing eight workshops with guest speakers, leading student campaigns and organizing community cleanups. As the Treasurer of Interact Club she manages budgeting and support for large-scale service initiatives, including coordinating distribution of over 1,000 care packages for needy individuals.

All of this is in addition to a rigorous course load as a full International Baccalaureate student.

Her reference letters point to her leadership skills, dedication and work ethic.

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John Anthony – Vancouver College

John has a story of using adversity to create change and help others. Two years ago he had vision problems, affecting schoolwork and other activities. Eventually he was diagnosed with a rare misshapen cornea, requiring special corrective lenses. Seeing how inaccessible these lenses were, John started a non-profit organization, See the Future, to buy lenses for those who could not otherwise afford them. He approached a non-profit lawyer to work pro bono to set up the initiative, and then created a board of optometrists who identified patients unable to afford the lenses. After creating a website featuring testimonials from the first two recipients, he led a launch event to generate community support. So far the organization has supported seven people with lenses and has raised over $25,000. John plans to expand and achieve charitable status to raise significant donations.

As well, John and his brother started No Kids Hungry at their school, partnering with Backpack Buddies to provide food to disadvantaged students on weekends. As president of the club, he has expanded membership, led planning sessions and oversees fundraising efforts. He also organizes packing days; the most successful produced over 1,600 food bags for youth in one session. In three years they have raised more than $17,000, and packed over 25,000 bags benefiting over 750 children in need.

He has also inspired others to serve, this year alone bringing 50 different students to volunteer at the warehouse.

John is also an elite basketball player, one of the captains on the leadership team. One of his teachers said: John represents the very best of that we hope to develop in our student-athletes: character, resilience, service and leadership. He says that John’s level of empathy, drive and social responsibility is rare at any age. He is confident that John will continue to make a profound impact wherever he goes.

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Edison Phan – Vancouver Technical Secondary

Edison’s leadership journey began with the City of Vancouver’s Safer Communities Program, where he progressed from participant to youth leader. He now collaborates with city staff, presents to the mayor on violence prevention strategy, and speaks publicly on issues affecting youth. In addition to city-level advocacy, Edison volunteers at Thunderbird Community Centre, supporting underprivileged youth through mentorship and activities. He has also partnered with organizations such as the Students Commission of Canada and Equitas to fund and run programs like after-school basketball for families in need.

His school counsellor says: Edison is honest, resilient and highly disciplined. He boasts a 95% academic average in his grade eleven and twelve courses. He balances excellent academics with multiple jobs and extensive volunteer work, exemplifying integrity and perseverance. He adds: In my 19 years as an educator, Edison stands as one of the most exceptional students I have encountered.

Edison plans to attend Queen’s University, where he will be mentoring students and contributing to initiatives that help first-generation students feel a stronger sense of belonging and clearer pathways to success.

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Isabel Shang – Sir Winston Churchill Secondary

Here is someone who sees a need and steps up. Three years ago, seeing a homeless person lying on a downtown street corner, she began thinking of solutions, and co-founded the Catalyst for Vancouver Foundation, a youth-led, government-registered nonprofit society, which she now chairs. Since 2023, she has helped grow it into a network of over 200 youth volunteers. She leads outreach, fundraising, logistics and volunteer coordination, and has helped raise over $10,000 in support of their initiatives. Through Catalyst, they organize monthly Downtown Eastside distributions of essentials such as food, water, hygiene items, feminine products and weather-appropriate clothing, while also delivering over thirty educational workshops to elementary students in Vancouver.

Isabel has built the systems to make the foundation’s work repeatable and long-lasting: creating volunteer onboarding processes, role descriptions, partner communication templates, and post-event debriefing systems. She also initiated outreach to healthcare partners, including the Canadian Mental Health Association, to make their support more informed, responsible and connected to long-term community needs. Isabel also does the logistical work of packing supplies, preparing packages and managing distribution.

Through the Learning Buddies Network, Isabel spent two years tutoring younger students in reading and math, and then advanced into leadership roles as Reading Program Coordinator and Math Executive Coordinator, supporting students while helping manage other mentors. She co-founded IB Mentors, guiding over seventy younger students through orientation and workshops to help them adjust to the International Baccalaureate program. She coordinated a Red Dress Day donation drive and helped lead awareness efforts in support of Indigenous women and girls. As a camp leader at the UBC Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, Isabel facilitated two weeks of full-time arts programming for children, helping create a safe and encouraging environment.

The Executive Director of the Catalyst Foundation calls Isabel one of the most reliable, thoughtful and effective youth leaders she has worked with. She has strong practical leadership skills, is highly organized, communicates clearly, solves problems quickly and thinks several steps ahead. She makes decisions based on respect, not just on convenience. She has an extraordinary long-term potential and will go on to achieve meaningful things, having the ability and the discipline to do so.