The Leamington District Secondary School (LDSS) EcoTeam Student profiled in the June 2016 issue on page 36 of Biz X magazine earns TD Scholarship.

Soon after this article was published, LDSS EcoTeam President Carlos Pena Vallecillo was awarded a $70,000 TD Scholarship, primarily for his role as an environmental advocate in his school and community.

After a harmful algae bloom on Lake Erie caused beach closures and unsafe drinking water, Carlos led his school’s EcoTeam in a community campaign to raise awareness and work with scientists, politicians and citizens to find solutions. Carlos has lobbied Town Council to protect residents’ environmental health and he speaks at conferences and rallies to urge others to become environmental advocates. Active as Deputy Prime Minister of Student Parliament, and as a School Board Student Trustee, Carlos drew upon his background as an immigrant from Honduras to develop an ambassador program to assist new Canadian students. Carlos will attend the University of Ottawa and study political science with a minor in biology.

As a student trustee with the Greater Essex County District School Board, Carlos successfully implemented a Board-level ban on plastic water bottles. Carlos was a keynote speaker at Windsor’s Global Climate March and launched a social media campaign to encourage Prime Minister Trudeau to take strong action at the UN’s Climate Conference in Paris. In September, Carlos is enrolled at the University of Ottawa in the Political Science program (French Immersion) with a minor in Science.

For more information on the scholarships visit online.

Feature Photo: Recipients of the 2016 TD Scholarships for Community Leadership. Leamington District Secondary School student Carlos Pena Vallecillo is pictured seated, centre. (Photo courtesy of TD Canada Trust)