OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, August 14, 2009 · 12 Seeking votes as she aims to help the world By Angela Blackburn OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF So what are the odds? For the second time this week, the Oakville Beaver received a plea for help from an Iroquois Ridge High School (IRHS) graduate hoping to win tuition money through a video contest. Both local students are among the top eight Canadian finalists in The Much & HP: Declare Yourself 2009 Contest. In yesterday's edition, we ran a story about Oakville's Kathryn Ekbatani who was one of eight finalists named earlier this week. Just after going to print, Iroquois Ridge grad Jessica Steeves contacted the paper seeking assistance in reaching out to her hometown for votes as the contest goes public to pick a winner. She was a last-minute entry who was also selected among the top finalists. Voting is now open at www.muchmusic/hp -- along with viewing the videos -- and will remain open until Aug. 31. As did Ekbatani, Steeves, also entered a video explaining why she needs to win the grand prize -- tuition. Steeves will be studying engineering at Queen's University. "The video with the most votes at the end of this time will win their tuition and believe me engineering tuition is not cheap," said Steeves. The 17-year-old Kitchener native who has called Oakville home since she was 10, said she has been working several jobs this summer and is still facing a student loan to pay for her nearly $10,000 tuition and Jessica Steeves another $10,000 for residence, along with $2,000 more for books. she hopes her engineering studies Steeves also said she has twin sis- will provide the ability for her to conters who are heading to university in tinue to make a difference, not only a couple of years so her family could in her immediate surroundings, but use the tuition assistance. potentially on the world stage. Like her counterpart from Global issues, the environment Iroquois Ridge, Steeves may excel at and helping those in need are all putting together effective videos, but matters close to her heart. she was also very busy during her Steeves penned a youth column high school years. for The Beaver when she was in "I'm a busy person. If I'm not Grade 9. She also attended the busy, I feel weird," said Steeves. enrichment program at Queen's The young woman's resume University called e=mc2. The univershows she was more than busy -- sity immersion program was enough with efforts that indicate she has to route Steeves back to Queen's. made a difference. Though she comes from a family Steeves stresses in her video that lineage of engineers, all of whom attended Queen's, Steeves said she was all set to rebel against the family tradition until she took physics -- and discovered she loved it. Now, she's heading to Queen's and could use the financial help. The self-confessed "hard worker" was a choir member throughout high school and soprano section leader in Grade 12. As early as Grade 9, Steeves was on IRHS' Global Issues Council, became a member, then leader, of the school's Ridge Against Impaired Driving (RAID) & Wellness club and helped organize a petition for a sexual health clinic in Oakville, the Ridge's annual anti-smoking campaign, a mental health campaign with Kids Help Phone, the high school's annual fashion show, a breast cancer awareness night at a local restaurant and a Christmas toy drive. In Grade 10, Steeves, a long-time student council member, attended Relay for Life, co-chaired her high school's relay this year and last year organized a charity concert at her high school in honour of a trio of people she knew who battled cancer. As well as participating annually in the 30-Hour Famine, Steeves has volunteered with the Town of Oakville as an assistant swimming instructor through the Pool Pals program and was social co-ordinator for a political youth association. A soccer player, swimmer and rugby player, Steeves graduated as an Ontario Scholar with distinction. "We do have a media program at our school. I was never in that group though and I never took any of the related courses. I understand our school's media program is amazing," said Steeves, who having learned to use a computer moviemaking program earlier this year to make a video on water for a class project, called her friend Jarrid Dudley and set about the task of moviemaking. "I love being involved," said Steeves, adding, "Basically, I want to help the world." To do it however, Steeves said she could use some help from home in Oakville. Voting can be done at www.muchmusic.com/hp. Voters can submit a vote every day and by doing so they are automatically entered into a draw to win themselves the same package the Oakville finalists won -- an HP notebook and accessories.