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Belmont student wins Sarah Beckett scholarship

Nathaniel Blondeau hopes to become a police officer
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Colin Plant, chair of the Capital Regional District’s traffic safety commission (left), represents Nathaniel Blondeau with the second annual Const. Sarah Beckett Scholarship outside of the West Shore RCMP detachment on Thursday. (Kendra Wong/News Gazette staff)

A Belmont Secondary student is the recipient of the second annual Const. Sarah Beckett Memorial Scholarship.

Seventeen-year-old Nathaniel Blondeau was awarded the $2,000 scholarship from the Capital Regional District’s traffic safety commission to pursue a career in law enforcement outside of the West Shore RCMP detachment on Thursday.

“I was surprised. I applied hoping to win, but I never actually expected to,” Blondeau said. “I was almost in disbelief … I think the laws and how the criminal justice system works is interesting.”

RELATED: Inaugural Sarah Beckett Memorial Scholarship awarded to Saanich police volunteer

Blondeau will be studying criminal justice at Camosun College in the fall with hopes of transferring to Simon Fraser University in Burnaby to pursue a degree in criminology in the future. His goal is to become a police officer.

Blondeau was also captain of the Belmont Bulldogs football team, achieved academic excellence earning 98 per cent in Law 12 and 97 per cent in Criminology 12 courses, and works at Thrifty’s in Colwood.

Colin Plant, chair of the traffic safety commission, said Blondeau checked all the boxes.

“It’s very clear that Nathaniel wants to become a police officer with his studies, letters and community involvement,” he said. “He is a young man that is well-rounded and liked by his peers and adults in his life and we believe that he will be successful … This scholarship is a way for us to remember Const. Beckett, but also support a young person. This scholarship will hopefully help Nathaniel towards his career goal.”

RELATED: West Shore RCMP Const. Sarah Beckett to be honoured on anniversary of her death

This is the second scholarship the traffic safety commission has given out in honour of Beckett. Beckett lost her life when her police cruiser was broadsided by a pickup truck in the Goldstream Avenue and Peatt Road intersection in Langford during the early morning hours of April 5, 2016.

Shortly after, the commission created the scholarship to raise awareness of traffic safety issues and highlight the community service provided by police.


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kendra.wong@goldstreamgazette.com