Margaret (Maggie) Cassidy of Orangeville District Secondary School has won a 2008 Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation Excellence Award, which recognizes university and collegebound students for their achievements in leadership, innovation, academic performance, and community service.

Maggie joins a community of over 18,000 excellence award alumni who are making their mark in Canada and abroad. As a local award winner she will receive a one-time $4,000 award.

Maggie has spearheaded several initiatives to promote cultural and environmental awareness amongst her school peers. She was a founding member of her school's Diversity Organization, a group that encourages students to learn more about other cultures and countries.

The Diversity Organization has mounted displays celebrating different holidays from around the world, convinced the cooking classes to prepare ethnic food and raised money for the NGO Kids With Cameras.

Similarly, through her work with the Gaia Earth Club at school, she has encouraged her fellow club members to participate in the Yellow Fish Road program (whereby students paint a fish on storm drains to remind people that their wastewater flows into rivers and lakes) and she has spoken at council meetings in Orangeville and Mono on watershed issues in the Lake Huron water system.

Maggie is also very involved with the Ontario Students Against Impaired Driving organization, serving as co-president from 2006-08 and organizing a regional conference in the fall of 2007. She is interested in all forms of visual art, writing and music, and she is planning to study English in university.

Katherine Reese, Neuchatel Junior College in Hillsburgh was another Local Award winner.

"An investment in the education of these outstanding citizens is an investment in the future of our society," said Norman Riddell, executive director and CEO of the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation.

"These young, and sometimes not so young, individuals have already demonstrated their ability to change the world around them - they know how to make a difference. The Foundation is pleased to recognize their past successes, but above all is proud to help them reach their future goals."

For a complete list of this year's laureates and more information about the Foundation and its programs, visit www. millenniumscholarships. ca.