Abby Anderson, a 2022 graduate from Houston Secondary School, is the latest graduate from the school to receive the Governor General’s bronze medal for scholastic achievement.
The bronze medal is awarded to the one student from each high school in Canada each year to graduate with the highest average in both the Grade 11 and Grade 12 years.
Anderson is now at the University of Northern B.C. in Prince George where she is studying biomedical science.
“I received all my education in Houston, and I thoroughly enjoyed attending a smaller school in a small town,” Anderson said in response to a series of questions sent by Houston Today.
“The smaller community allowed me to develop better relationships with my teachers and the smaller class sizes gave me the opportunity to form personal connections with my peers. There were also a variety of resources to help me through challenges I encountered throughout my education.”
Anderson said she enjoyed Life Sciences 11 and Anatomy and Physiology 12 the most at Houston Secondary School, adding that these courses heavily influenced her decision to study health sciences.
“After I receive my degree I hope to attend medical school and work as a physician in a northern community,” she wrote.
The bronze medal was created by Canada’s third Governor General, Lord Dufferin, in 1873 to encourage academic excellence across the nation.
In B.C., bronze medal results are based on final marks from provincial examinations. All students can be considered, regardless of courses taken or educational pursuit.
Today there are four medal levels — bronze at the secondary school level; collegiate bronze at the post-secondary, diploma level; silver at the undergraduate level; and gold at the graduate level.
There is no monetary award for any level.