The Rotary Club of Penticton Sunrise recently rang in the New Year by celebrating the selection of Hashanah Cabug-os—a scholarly, high-octane and compassionate grade 12 student at Penticton Secondary —as Rotary Student of the Month for January.
Cabug-os was recognized for her dogged pursuit of excellence in academics and athletics combined with a tireless commitment to help spearhead laudable leadership activities.
Cabug-os’ 17-year journey along life’s highway has been “an adventurous one,” with many twists and turns along the way.” She was born and raised by her maternal grandparents in the Philippines until age four, when she “took a leap across the globe and landed in Prince Rupert, B.C. where her mom was working hard to build their future. After living there for only one year, she was uprooted again and then spent 10 years in Quesnel, with her mom, stepdad and sister.
Cabug-os initially struggled at school in Quesnel as she was enrolled in French immersion before she spoke English. But she persevered, made friends, and fell in love with competitive dance and club soccer.
Upon moving with her family to Penticton in 2021, Cabug-os entered Pen High as a shy grade 10 student. The first year proved daunting. Besides missing her tight circle of friends, she could no longer afford either dancing or club soccer and had to adapt to a new school. Then in January 2022, her mom suffered a cerebral hemorrhage, resulting in added anxiety at home.
Cabug-os decided to join the Pen High junior girls volleyball team in grade 10 and has played on the senior girls team for the past two years. She also played on the Volleytech Volleyball Club rep team in grades 10 and 11.
“While mentally draining, I cherish the genuine connections made on and off the court not to mention the positive energy from bonding with my teammates to achieve common goals while sharing the pressure of competing as a close-knit team to the best of our ability,” Cabug-os said.
“Hashanah stood out not only for her exceptional athletic abilities but also for her outstanding strength of character and leadership qualities. Equipped with an infectious positive attitude, she demonstrated resilience in the face of challenges and fostered a supportive team environment. Her ability to motivate and unite the team contributed significantly to our success,” volleyball coach Tanya Hall said.
Cabug-os has always been committed to excelling scholastically, with a grade average of 94% in grade 10 and 96% in grade 11 while carrying a heavy slate of university prerequisite courses. She prefers math and the life sciences, the former as “it is precise with only one right answer” and the latter as “they reveal the intriguing workings of living things.”
Science teacher Geoff Waterman said, “Hashanah was a superb student in my Anatomy and Physiology 12 course last year, achieving a 99% grade. Goal-oriented and industrious, she always put forth her best effort. Her positivity was contagious, enabling her to spark enthusiasm in her peers. She also is a kind and caring person, assisting at home as a care giver to her mom.”
She enrolled in the leadership course this year and quickly became a key member.
Upon graduation, Cabug-os plans to undertake BSc studies in the biomedical sciences at UBC as a springboard to medical school with the ultimate aim of becoming an obstetrician. Attaining this lofty childhood dream will be difficult, but if anyone possesses the requisite toolkit—intellect, drive, laser-focus, empathy, grit and resilience—to succeed, she most assuredly does.
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