Donovan Simpson-Perron had quite the audience during the Graduation Transition Fair at SOSS last week. Shown listening are, from left, Bethany Smith, Brittany Silberg, Kira MacFayden and Sara Titus. Below, Grade 12 student Zach Higgins had Oliver Mayor Ron Hovanes’ attention.
Lyonel Doherty photos
In a perfect world, Grade 12 student Ryan Melgar would win the lottery and build a house in Fiji.
But being a dentist seems more likely for this care-free 17 year old.
Melgar was one of 35 students who took part in the “Graduation Transition Fair” recently in the library of Southern Okanagan Secondary School.
This annual event gives students the opportunity to showcase themselves, their transition portfolio and future plans.
Vice-principal Tracy Harrington said it’s a personal reflection of each student’s high school career and encourages them to take ownership of their own health and learning.
Melgar’s presentation included a poster board with various photographs of his youth.
His family emigrated from El Salvador and came to Oliver, where he attended Sen Pok Chin school.
Melgar has won various academic awards at SOSS, including French 11 and Chemistry 11. He admitted the chemistry award surprised him because science is not his best subject.
The Honour Roll student works part time at Tim Hortons and hopes to attend university to become a dentist.
Melgar was inspired by Dr. Jordan Noftle in Oliver during a work placement program. He liked the way Dr. Noftle communicated with children in order to comfort them before their dental appointment.
“I like to help people,” Melgar said, explaining his reason for choosing dentistry as a potential career.
But his “most important” goal is to enjoy life’s good and bad.
“At the end of the day, that’s what is important,” he stated.
At the other end of the library, Grade 12 student Ben Kamann showed off a ski boot with old blood stains on it.
He explained how he snapped his leg in half in Grade 8 after falling on an icy patch on Mount Baldy ski hill.
After emergency surgery, Kamann was faced with a long recovery time.
The 17 year old has a passion for Second World War history, showing off a miniature plane and army tank he painted with the help of his dad.
“When I get stressed out, I paint . . . it’s just a hobby, Kamann said.
The student is also a Halo “junky,” a fan of the alien-shooting video game franchise. But when he’s not taking out futuristic bad guys on screen, he works at his mother’s pharmacy in Penticton.
Kamann plans to take a year off school and perhaps pursue a degree in business. But working on a farm in Hawaii is another tempting proposition, he pointed out.
A blinking traffic light caught everyone’s attention at the fair, so the Chronicle definitely had to check it out.
What was Jon Verbaan up to anyway?
It looked like the 17 year old had something that Shark Tank investors might be interested in.
Verbaan called his device a garage parking aid that worked via an ultrasonic sensor (like a bat).
His grandfather, a retired Vancouver police officer, once attended an event with raffle prizes. One of the prizes reflected a similar technology, so Verbaan built it and “made it better”
The student plans to attend university to study computer engineering. He specifically wants to develop computer boards.
“I’ve always liked computers and fixing (problems).”
Verbaan has been on the Honour Roll every year and competed in the Skills Canada competition last year.
He does all the maintenance on his car (a Honda CRV).
Any student who does that should be on the Honour Roll.
Lyonel Doherty
Oliver Chronicle
