Providing opportunities and support is part of the core mission of the Quinte Arts Council and we are very pleased to announce that one of our Rotary Exchange Students (outgoing), Nicole Cao received the Hugh P. O'Neil Student Arts Bursary award recently. The award was established in 1995 by the Quinte Provincial Liberal Association to recognize the contributions of the late Hugh O'Neil, former MPP, during more than 20 years of political life and, in particular, to honour his significant support of the arts both provincially and locally. Each spring the Quinte Arts Council awards two $500 bursaries to students graduating from secondary schools in the Quinte Riding (as it existed in 1995). Students must be proceeding to further their arts education at a post-secondary school in Canada. The bursaries support local students pursuing arts. So congratulations are certainly in order to Nicole who is currently studying architecture at the University of Waterloo. She is finding the work challenging, but learning a lot! She and her classmates are finding themselves sharing their talents and knowledge and spending their money on the price of modeling material, so Nicole is very grateful to have the QAC Student Bursary. Nicole graduated from the International Baccalaureate program at Eastside Secondary School where she was a member of the student arts council and student council, as well as a tutor in multiple subjects. She is also youth member of the BDIA and summer arts camp leader. Nicole speaks three languages and had an amazing opportunity to study in Germany for a year (as a Rotary Exchange Student through the Rotary Club of Belleville).