Outside of school, I am an active member in my local community. In the spring of 2010, I organized the first Education for a Better Foundation Society (EBF) Gala at Pan Pacific Hotel. The event welcomed more than 200 guests and raised over $30,000 for BC Children's Hospital’s 500 Million-Dollar Campaign. During six months of preparation for the event, I, along with my friends, faced a multitude of task from selling tickets to independently hosting a grand banquet. Beyond just creating a positive impact on our community, we were able to spread our mission statement across the province. This milestone event allowed EBF to quickly flourish from a fledgling grass root organization to a reputable youth charity in Vancouver, attracting more than fifty youth members representing eight different high schools. Serving as the President of EBF Society not only allowed me to fulfill my passion of volunteering in my community but also gave me the chance to hone my leadership and communication skills.
In addition, I also served as the Secretary General for the 2011 Canadian High Schools Model United Nations. As the Secretary General, I provide my leadership skills in the organization of a three-day Model United Nations conference. The main objective this year is to further expand the success of the last year’s conference while maintaining a profitable yet affordable event. We are already expecting to attract over 500 delegates (an addition of 200 from last year‘s 300) and pushing the conference to be an international event by extensively marketing in Canada, USA, China, Egypt, Singapore, and Korea.
Further more, I am one of the only two students currently serving as a member for the For Children We Care Dinner, an annual gala event organized by BC Children's Hospital Foundation. Over 1,000 distinguished guests get together every year at the black tie optional event for a night of fine dining, live entertainment, and a silent auction. The event has risen close to $7.5 million to purchase medical equipment, fund research and educational programs at BC Children's Hospital. My role entails organizing the gala dinner, and more specifically coordinating youth volunteers for the event. For my leadership and volunteering commitments, I was nominated as the Outstand Youth Philanthropist by the hospital and in the end becoming one of the two finalists for the award.
Next year I plan to study Business Administration at the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California. My future aspirations are to move back to Asia to begin my business career.
Thank you for considering me for this scholarship.
Matthew Gu
