Dave Stickney left us 4 years ago. He is missed by all who came within the Stick orbit. On June 27, LHS held its commencement for its 2019 graduating class. Two students received David Stickney Scholarships. The Scholarship is awarded to a female and male student who exhibited during their years at LHS three characteristics that were important to Mr. Stickney: an aptitude for mathematics; participation on a sports team; and community service. This year’s recipients of the David Stickney Scholarships were: Rachael Mohl and Matthew Hohner.
Matthew had marks in the high 90s in all three of his grade 12 math courses. He was a EUCLID Math Contest participant; a DECA Provincials Marketing Written Exam Finalist and was President and Founder of the LHS Investment Club (although Matthew, I remember Mr. Stickney was the teacher advisor for a student investing game/club when I was at LHS). He was a member of the varsity Ultimate Frisbee, Soccer, Basketball and Coed Volleyball teams. In the community Matthew was a volunteer as an Executive Council Member for the Toronto Youth STEM and Innovation Conference, an LHS Peer Tutor, and volunteered with Bessborough and Bennington Heights Mayfairs, the Leaside Community Toy Drive and the Georgia Walsh Fundraiser. Matthew is studying Commerce at Queen’s University this fall. His career goal is to work in finance in the area of capital markets or management consulting. Eventually he wants to start and run his own firm.
Matthew sent the following thank you note:
Thank you so much for the David Stickney Award. It was an honour to receive it and I will forever be grateful. I have heard many positive things about Mr. Stickney. His contribution to the community and Leaside High School were incredible, and I wish I would have had the chance to meet him. It has been a privilege to grow up in this neighbourhood and attend Leaside, and this generous award will be so helpful as I continue my post-secondary studies at Queen’s University in the fall. Thanks again.
Rachael’s marks in her three grade 12 mathematics classes were also in the high 90s. She participated amongst others, in the Canadian Senior Mathematics Contest; University of Waterloo Hypatia Contests; the Canadian Computing Competition and was a EUCLID Math Contest Participant. Rachael was also one of only four programmers on LHS’s first all-girls Robotics Team and she received Build, Create and Judges awards from various robotics competitions the team competed in, including the VEX Robotics World Competition. Field Hockey, Rugby 7s and 15s, and outdoor and indoor Soccer were the sports teams that she wore black, green and gold for while attending LHS. Rachael is going to Guelph University next year to study, wait for it… Computer Science. Her career goal is to develop her skills in computer science and use them to help better the world through the development of a life changing program.
Rachael sent the following thank you note:
I am extremely flattered to be this year’s recipient of the David Stickney Award at Leaside High School. I want to thank you for this amazing award, and let you know that the scholarship money will be put to good use; next year I will be attending the University of Guelph for computer science, and I am looking forward to doing great things in the future! Again, thank you so much.
That is not all. The RDS Committee is pleased when recipients have a connection to Stick. As we learned through a letter received from Rachael’s mom, Erin Kennedy, Rachael has a connection to Dave through her grandfather and uncle:
… I wanted you to know how special this award was to myself and my family (my mother Jean and my brother Mike).
Rachael is the grand-daughter of Bill Kennedy. Bill also grew up in Leaside and attended Leaside High School around the same time as David. David and Bill got to know one another through their participation in and love of sport (definitely not my dad’s love of math!). Unfortunately, my father Bill died in the early 1970’s. However, several years later, my brother Michael met David at the Sunnybrook Cardiac Rehab centre when my brother was a physical education student at the University of Toronto. Of course, Mike and David quickly made the connection to Bill! Later, when Michael became vice-principal at Northlea and subsequently principal at Rolph Road, David would make visits to “check in” with Mike and make sure everything was ok. It is the small things like this that David did to show he cared that made him special.
Our family just wanted to share this special memory with your family and let you know how David and this award have made a significant impact on us!
Thank you Erin. It is nice to be reminded of Stick’s positive impact on people through his everyday gestures.
Congratulations to two fine LHS graduates. Dave would have been proud of them.
Next year is LHS’s 75th anniversary. Dave had been a key organizer in the school’s previous reunions. His involvement will be missed. It is also the last year for awarding the David Stickney Scholarship. We shall report to you then.
Seas Gu Dileas
This article was provided by Guest Contributor James LeNoury, For the Remembering David Stickney Committee