Each year, BC Transplant awards four $1,500 scholarships to high school students across the province who have demonstrated exceptional dedication to raising awareness about organ donation and transplantation. In addition to three individual scholarships, we added a new scholarship category this year: a team scholarship. We hoped a group project would bring new levels of innovation and collaboration.
This year, we received numerous applications from students in grades 10 to 12, showcasing effort and creativity. Many of them were of high calibre so it was not an easy decision.
Thank you to all students who applied for the “Live Life. Pass It On.” Scholarship. Your passion and commitment to raising awareness about organ donation are commendable. We know youth are the most important voice in changing public perception about organ donation, ultimately saving lives.
We are excited to introduce you to the four exceptional projects chosen as winners of a “Live Life. Pass It On.” Scholarship this year.
Congratulations to Ella, Hiya, Navya, Emily and Kallista!
Ella’s organ donation awareness campaign created an impact both at her school and within her wider community. Her project featured many different components, beginning with an interactive information session for her peers. She invited Sue Hurn, a BC Transplant volunteer and donor mom, to share her personal journey. During this session Ella also focused on clearing up common misconceptions, sharing inspiring recipient stories, and relaying educational facts about organ donation and transplant. To keep things fun and engaging, Ella wrapped up the session with a Kahoot quiz.
Ella planned community events and organized a digital campaign where she invited Elaine Yong, BCT Communications Manager, and her daughter Addison, a heart recipient, to take over her social media channel, which has almost 14,000 followers. Ella also shared impactful posts about Logan Boulet and Green Shirt Day across multiple platforms, reaching thousands more in her community.
What stood out most in Ella’s project was her focus on connecting directly with her Asian community, broadening the conversation in a meaningful way. Thank you, Ella, for your creativity, leadership, and dedication!
Hiya’s passion to raise awareness for organ donation and transplant started at the beginning of the school year in September 2024 when she reached out to BC Transplant for support and resources.
Her inspiration was Logan Boulet and his incredible legacy of saving six lives through organ donation. She was surprised at the lack of awareness for the important cause and set out to raise awareness in her own creative ways.

Hiya started by engaging with her school community through an information booth and increased exposure in her South Asian community at temples during major events. Blending her love for art with her advocacy, Hiya thoughtfully created paintings and handmade bookmarks, which she distributed at her school and at a long-term care home where she volunteers.
“I also recognized that my generation is the future. We can change things and fill in gaps. I thought, what if more youth like me knew about the importance of organ donation, would they also feel the need to make a difference like I did? I knew if I spread the word, more youth would get involved, offering a future where organ donation seems less intimidating,” explains Hiya.
Hiya, you are an inspiration! Thank you for taking the time to learn more and engage with different communities to increase awareness about organ donation and transplant.
Navya’s organ donation awareness project was special in many ways. She first started thinking about organ donation after watching an episode of the television show Grey’s Anatomy. It prompted her to reflect on what it means to truly leave behind a legacy, and then she found out about BCT’s scholarship program.
Navya also connected her faith with organ donation in a meaningful way. She explains, “Coming from a Hindu family, I've grown up with the belief that the body is temporary, but our actions are eternal, making organ donation feel like a natural choice.”
At her Catholic school, while preparing for a Holy Week reflection on death and dying, she saw how it aligned with the message behind Green Shirt Day.
Navya shares, “By embedding Green Shirt Day into Holy Week, I wanted to create a stronger connection between organ donation and my school's religious values. We used social media to share facts and reflections. But for the message to stick, it needed a human face. So, I contacted BC Transplant and arranged for Joanne Curtis, a liver recipient, to speak at our school.”
Navya’s insightful collaboration between organ donation and religious beliefs was meaningful and made her application stand out. Navya seamlessly introduced students at STMC to organ donation and transplant in a way that resonated with them. Her own reflections also brought depth and creativity to the project. Amazing job, Navya!
Emily and Kallista’s project was engaging, creative, fun and thought-provoking.
One of the highlights of their campaign was an interactive display of a large green shirt taped to the wall. They invited students and staff to reflect on a simple but profound question: “Who would you save?” Participants wrote down names of loved ones - parents, siblings, friends, even pets - creating a wall of heartfelt responses. The activity made a powerful connection to organ donation, reminding everyone that one day the need for a transplant could affect someone close to them. It encouraged thoughtful discussion and highlighted the importance of registering one’s decision.
Their project also included a video featuring an interview with a teacher who is a kidney recipient, Green Shirt Day at school and an egg race. Each egg represented an organ that needed to be transplanted. It brought in the perspective of someone waiting for an urgent organ transplant.
We love the efforts and creativity they both put into this project and how they presented organ donation and transplant in a fun but digestible way. Kudos to Emily and Kallista for the creative and thought-provoking project to inspire change and increase organ donation education at Duchess Secondary School.
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BC Transplant's "Live Life. Pass It On." Scholarship is offered every year. Follow along to learn more about the 2025/2026 scholarship.
Learn more here.