Thomas 2006

Thomas Paul was 10 years old when he came to Landmark East and he was a student with us for eight years.  About his experience, Thomas said, “I learned to be self–reliant and to figure things out for myself.”  Thomas volunteered his time in the community and as many school activities that he could pack in a day. He was an usher at the Atlantic Theatre Festival for 3 years and worked in the projection room at Acadia Cinema.  He volunteered for school events like Open House, Parent Day, Graduation and the Walkathon. He was a regular participant in our Annual Science Fair and went on to win several awards at regional competitions.

For a number of years, Thomas was involved in his pet project, the Landmark East Peace Group. He was especially proud of the Peace Garden they created on the west lawn of the campus in 2004.   Thomas enjoyed many extracurricular activities over the years, but he said the most memorable was the 2004 camping trip organized by Mr. Walker and Ms. Barr. He was active on Landmark East Student Council as Middle School Rep, Treasurer and President.  In October 2005, Thomas was selected to represent Landmark East in Encounters with Canada, a week-long seminar and youth forum at the Terry Fox Centre in Ottawa.

He has been involved in air cadets for 4 years, achieving the rank of Flight Sergeant.  After being awarded a prestigious “Power Flying Scholarship”, Thomas returned to school that September with his pilot’s license.  In 2006 after graduation, Thomas worked as a Staff Cadet at a training center in Debert and now is attending Flight College with plans to be a commercial pilot.   

In 2005, Thomas received the Lieutenant Governor’s Medal.  In 2006 he was honored with a number of awards: The Air Cadet League of Canada Flying Achievement Scholarship, the Town of Wolfville Volunteer Award, the Learning Disabilities Association of Canada’s Beat the Odds Youth Award, Canada’s Millennium Scholarship, the Queen Elizabeth II Medal and Honorable Mention in the Youth Achievement competition sponsored by Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities.