MITCHELL SMALL
Thomas Washburn Scholar, 2011

Thom's Page     Scholarship   All Scholars

The picture to the left is from The Daily Gleaner, 16 June, 2011. The caption under the photo said: Focused on family and the future: Mitchell Small is a well-rounded young man who enjoys music, sports, Scouting and being with his family. He will graduate from Leo Hayes High school next week and will attend the University of New Brunswick this fall. His goal is to become a mechanical engineer. He aspires to have a career in designing airplanes.

The full text of the article follows.

Mitchell Small, 17, is intelligent, athletic, community-minded and caring

By LAVERNE STEWART

Editor's note: Our Terrific Teens celebrates the accomplishments of local young people between the ages of 13 to 19. If you know of someone with an interesting story, we'd like to hear from you. You can email reporter Laverne Stewart at stewart.laverne@dailygleaner.com.

Mitchell Small is a well-rounded young man who enjoys music, sports, Scouting and being with his family. He will graduate from Leo Hayes High School next week and will attend the University of New Brunswick this fall. His goal is to become a mechanical engineer. He aspires to have a career in designing airplanes.

Next Friday, Mitchell Small and the rest of Leo Hayes High's class of 2011 will walk across the stage at UNB's Aitken Centre, receive their diplomas, and start the beginning of the next chapter in their lives.

Some graduates might not be sure about what they want to do, but this 17-year-old has a clear vision for his future. Mitchell has decided to stay in Fredericton and take the mechanical engineering program at the University of New Brunswick, with the goal of eventually working in the aviation industry.

While some students will be working this summer, he will be going to a summer program called Shad Valley at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont., where he and others there will take part in math, science and engineering seminars, labs and presentations.

"I am really fascinated with math, science and engineering. I'm really excited to be going to university to meet new people and to learn new things."

Mitchell has been a Daily Gleaner carrier since 2005. Every morning at 6 a.m., he delivers newspapers to his 34 customers. He's an early riser and says it's something he enjoys doing.

By 7 a.m., he returns home, has breakfast, watches a little sports on TV and then gets ready for school. He's saved a lot of his earnings over the years. Some of that money will be used to help pay for university. He's also bought things such as a laptop computer, other electronics, and a bike. It also gave him spending money for a European vacation he took with his family.

Delivering the paper six-days-a-week isn't easy, but his mother says rarely has he complained about the early mornings or bad weather. His favourite part of delivering the newspaper has been getting to know his customers over the years; it has given him a real sense of community in his neighbourhood, he says.

Now that he is preparing to go to the Shad Valley program, he will need someone to take over his newspaper route. His family has always worked together to get things done so while he is away his younger brother, 13-year-old Carter, with the support of his parents, Anne and Andy Small, will take care of his route.

This part-time job has also allowed Mitchell the time to be able to participate in various sports and extracurricular activities while not interfering with his academics, he says.

Mitchell is being recognized for his efforts by his employer. Brunswick News Inc. has awarded him a $1,000 bursary in recognition for all of his years of dedication, says Corena Walby, who is one of the company's distribution managers. "Our bursary program is open to all high school-aged children and they have to complete their graduation year in order to qualify. Depending on how long they were with us, they qualify for up to $1,000. He's been with us six years." He's a great student with marks in the low- to mid-90s. On average, he says, he's spent several hours each night studying and doing assignments.

But it hasn't been all work. He is very gregarious and always makes sure he has time for his friends. He enjoys spending time with them and going to things such as school dances, the movies, and the many grad class events. Mitchell is an athlete and has a wide range of sports interests. Hockey, curling and soccer are all sports he loves and plays.

He can read music and plays the piano, drums, cymbals, xylophone and alto saxophone and has been a member of his school's bands. "I play a lot of instruments and I enjoy playing music but I could improve on my playing. I would call me a music player but not a musician."

His family is very important to him. Mitchell loves spending time with them and is always ready to help out at home. When his little brother needs a drive to soccer practice, he volunteers to drive him to the soccer field. They are the kind of family that enjoys spending time together, whether it's doing chores around their home or doing fun things.

He and his brother and dad are all involved in Scouts Canada. Mitchell has been involved in the organization from the time he was three, when his family lived in Ontario. In that province, the organization accepts kids at this age into Beavers. He has remained in the Scouting organization for 14 years and is now a Venturer.

"It's given me amazing opportunities and has really helped to develop my involvement with community service." His father and brother are also involved with him in curling. "My mom helps out and is a very strong supporter behind the scenes with hockey and curling."

Every summer, since he was 10, he's gone to Grand Manan for a week to help his grandparents at the campground they operate there. He's split firewood, done maintenance projects and helped campers.

This young man is modest about his many accomplishments. His mother notes that he is this year's recipient of the Thomas Washburn Memorial Scholarship.

Thom Washburn was shot by terrorists in Saudi Arabia on May 1, 2004, dying from the bullet wounds two weeks later in Houston, Texas. Through donations from many individuals and firms, a scholarship has been created in Thom's memory. The Thomas Washburn Memorial Scholarship celebrates this man's life by helping engineering students grow in his profession and reflect his indomitable spirit.

Mitchell says he is very thankful and honoured that he was selected as this year's recipient of this scholarship which will mean he will receive $12,000 over three years of university.

In his second or third year at UNB, he is considering transferring to McGill University in Montreal for one term so he can take aerodynamics and aeronautical courses which are not offered at UNB. "I am fascinated about the design of cars and airplanes. Designing airplanes would be my dream job."

Even though he takes life as it comes, he says he sometimes will think about the future. Five years from now, he says, he sees himself working on a master's degree.

One of the reasons he agreed to an interview, he says, is because it affords him an opportunity to thank all of the people who have helped him in his life. His sports coaches, Scout leaders, teachers, family and friends have all had a positive influence on his life. He has no idea where he'd be in his life without them, he says.

© Copyright 2012 Sheila Washburn         ~         This page was revised on December 17, 2012