McCall Scholarships: Ty Smale aims to keep the lights on
BY SCOTT STEPHENSON
When McCall Scholarship recipient Ty Smale leaves Huron County for Conestoga College in the fall, he’ll be learning how to keep the lights on - for all of us!
Now that he’s graduated from Central Huron Secondary School (CHSS), this student from Seaforth will be preparing to use his interest in hands-on work to pursue a career as a powerline technician. “I’ve always been really interested in the trades,” Smale told The Citizen. “I have a bunch of family in the trades, and I’ve been asking them questions about work since I was a young kid.”
During his time at CHSS, Smale had the opportunity to turn that childhood curiosity into a possible career path through the school’s co-op program, completing a four-credit placement at Festival Hydro. Although he didn’t work directly with dangerous power lines, the experience convinced him to keep learning. “It was a great experience,” he explained. “Having those guys show me different jobs and explain how things work made me even more interested in the trade.”
Smale is one of many students who has felt the benefit of the alternative education opportunities found at CHSS. “I’d say the co-op program is one of the best things out there,” he declared. “They help you find a placement in the field you’re interested in - whether you’re going into post-secondary education or the trades. They give you options for employers… they even show you how to apply for a job!”
A dedication to co-op education is just one of the things that earned Smale an award from the McCall MacBain Foundation - he’s a hockey player and a cross-country runner who uses his love of music to help organize the Seaforth Summerfest every year, from booking local acts to setting up the stage himself. Smale has also taken to the stage for a good cause, performing a set at the Tanner Steffler Foundation’s Six Strings Festival to raise awareness and funds for youth mental health and addiction support in the community.
Despite all those valid qualifications, Smale was still surprised to learn he’d be receiving a McCall Scholarship. “I couldn’t believe I was even being considered. I didn’t always have the best grades, so I was shocked!” he recounted. “I was actually studying with a bunch of friends when I got the call, and when I walked back into the room, they were all like - ‘why do you have such a big smile on your face!?’”
Smale is planning to use this unexpected boon to ease the financial burden of educational expenses. “It’s going to take a lot of stress off my back,” he pointed out. “I won’t have to worry as much about paying for rent, school or my tools, and I’ll be able to focus more on my studies.”
Although the daily commute to Conestoga College will be three times longer than the bus trip from Seaforth to CHSS, Smale is looking forward to settling into an off-campus house he’s renting with friends and starting class. “My most daunting personal challenge will be getting situated where I’m at, and figuring out the best way for me to learn,” he pointed out. “It’s going to be totally different, compared to high school!”
He knows college is going to be a big change, but Smale, with some well-earned financial assistance, is game to face the challenge head-on. “I’m giving it a try, and I think I’m really going to enjoy it,” he told The Citizen. “I’m excited to just get into my own thing that I love and enjoy, and to experience it all with new friends I make along the way. So, even if you don’t think you have a chance of getting a scholarship, because you don’t have the best grades, apply anyway! There’s always a chance you might get it.”