Lake Cowichan School math and physics teacher Susan Barton calls Owen van Basten, “the hardest working student I’ve ever had.”
According to Barton, van Basten has an “enormous” course load but still gets everything done “extremely well.”
On top of that, the Grade 12 student works a part-time job, and competes in high school sports like volleyball and climbing.
For all that, van Basten was nominated by Barton and other staff members at LCS to receive the Duncan Rotary Club’s Student of the Month Award for February.
“I’m very grateful to get recognition for my hard work,” van Basten said.
“It’s amazing what he has accomplished,” Barton said. “He’s been quiet and capable about it all.”
Perhaps the crowning glory for van Basten was the project he put together for his social justice class, creating posters to raise awareness for blood donations.
“During COVID, donation levels dropped a lot,” commented van Basten, who said he hasn’t donated blood himself, but he plans to.
Van Basten is taking advanced classes this year, and plans to attend the University of Victoria next year to study computer science with the goal of getting into web development.