June 17, 2025
NWSS student leader receives UBC’s Beyond Tomorrow scholars award
New Westminster, B.C. – It began with an invitation to an academic outreach project at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and blossomed into a life-changing development for New Westminster Secondary School (NWSS) 12th grader Euodia Opigo.
Opigo, who graduates this June, is being recognized with a $80,000 Beyond Tomorrow Scholars Award to attend UBC.
“This means a lot to me,” said Opigo. “The scholarship takes some of the financial burden off me and my parents. I’ll be able to go through school without worrying about where tuition will come from.”
Two years ago, Opigo attended her first UBC Black Futures project event after District Vice Principal for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Kenneth Headley introduced her and other students to the initiative. The project, run by UBC staff, is designed to connect Black youth from across the Lower Mainland with professors, professionals, mentors, and other role models who reflect their identities.
It was through Black Futures that she first learned about the Beyond Tomorrow Scholars Program, which supports Black students in their post-secondary pursuits. Opigo is preparing to study food nutrition at UBC but has bigger ambitions to build a career in medicine.
Opigo’s leadership extends beyond academics at NWSS. She founded “Roots”, a club for Black students boasting around 40 members that hold events like culture days and Black History Month celebrations. Through “Roots”, she brought fellow students to UBC Black Futures, giving others a chance to experience the same inspiration that sparked her own journey. She credits the club’s success with the freedom and support given to them by club sponsor Lily de Sousa and youth worker Carl Lewis.
Most of all, Opigo is grateful to her friends and family.
“I want to thank my friends and parents, especially my mom,” she said. “She came to Canada to provide us with a better life and because of her, I’m living her dreams.”
Headley is proud of her achievements and considers them guiding lights for other students in the district.
“Euodia’s brilliance and resilience have brought her to this moment,” he said. “She deserves every bit of [recognition]. She will continue lead, inspiring and uplifting others wherever she goes.”
Like other grads, Opigo is preparing for the next chapter of her life, but nevertheless has an eye on the bigger picture.
“Representation is very important,” she said. “There are a lot of Black students in New Westminster. It’s important for people to see that we are here, we are worthy, and we are capable.”