2005 New Pioneers Awards

Edona Besnick Çaku (Youth)

Edona Çaku and her family arrived in Canada in the fall of 2000 from Albania. Fifteen-year old Edona soon adjusted to a new culture, language and school setting and within months achieved an A+ average at the York Memorial Collegiate Institute.

Edona is a high achiever and during the three years she spent in high school, led an active student life participating in extra curricular activities. Her involvement ranged from anti-discrimination and anti-racism clubs to mentoring, tutoring and national student exchange programs. She tutored her peers in French, Italian, mathematics, chemistry and biology and was the founder and co-president of the schools mathematics club, winning a total of 20 academic awards, scholarships and bursaries.

In 2003, Edona enrolled for the Medical Radiation Science program offered in partnership by the University of Toronto and the Michener Institute. She has continued to pursue her goal of academic excellence and is featured on the Deans list that grants entry to the Golden Key International Academic Honour Society.

While in university, Edona continues to display leadership and has founded the Friends of Albania Student Association at the University of Toronto. The groups mandate is to attract students from different backgrounds to undertake humanitarian projects in Albania.

Another of Edonas remarkable initiatives was to request the Herbert H. Carnegie Future Aces Foundation to support her in sending 4000 books (donated by the Friends of Toronto Reference Library) to a library in Albania.

Edona was also part of the organization and leading team of the Future Aces Youth Leadership Conference. She sits on the board of a charitable organization Science for Peace.

Edona has worked and volunteered at the Toronto Western Hospital, West Park Health Care Centre, St. Michaels Hospital, United Nations Toronto Branch and the International Holistic Tourism Education Centre.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

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• edona