By Neil Corbett – Maple Ridge News
A Maple Ridge educator has been chosen to receive a rare honour from his alma mater.
UBC has selected Scott Ormiston to receive the 2014 UBC Alumni Teaching Award, citing his “indefatigable commitment to teaching, and the passion, kindness and caring he brings to his practice.”
“It’s tremendous to be recognized, amongst all the amazing colleagues I’ve worked with over the years,” he said.
Dave Derpak was one of the people who nominated Ormiston. Derpak is a district principal in charge of international education for the Vancouver school board, and attended UBC at the same time as Ormiston. They graduated together in 1982, “back when we both had hair.”
The two have remained friends for more than 30 years.
“Scott has always had a great sense of humor, and a great sense of family,” he said. Derpak said Ormiston demonstrated his expertise and commitment to teaching in recent years, when he took on a new challenge in the Aboriginal education department with the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows school district.
The district has increased its aboriginal graduation rate by 20 per cent in the past two years. If present trends continue, the aboriginal grad rate in the district will be the tops in the province.
To read the full story, click here.