Local skater wins scholarship

by Linda Story

UXBRIDGE: With a beaming smile, Kathryn Sunn graciously accepted the Marion Cassie Memorial Scholarship at the Uxbridge Secondary School (USS) Commencement ceremony, on June 25th, at Uxbridge Arena. Ms. Sunn received her award in front of a standing-room-only audience who witnessed more than 250 graduates receive their diplomas.

In order to receive the Marion Cassie Memorial Scholarship, applicants must have a successful skating career with the Uxbridge Skating Club and a history of community volunteerism. Ms. Sunn from Goodwood certainly met both of these requirements. During her seven years at the Uxbridge Skating Club, Ms. Sunn passed Gold Artistic, Gold Skills, Diamond Dance with Candace Glover as her coach, and Star 7 Free Skate with Johanna Otten as her coach. When not at school or the arena, Ms. Sunn used her singing and piano-playing talents to perform in retirement homes in the Durham Region, much to the delight of the residents. She also volunteered for the Oak Ridges Trail Association, organizing relay fundraisers.

Being a member of the Uxbridge Skating Club has created many special memories for Ms. Sunn. She enjoyed being a program assistant and then becoming a Can-Skate Coach after taking the required courses. Ms. Sunn remembers being very excited to perform solos during the skating club's Carnivals, skating to music from LaLa Land and The Sound of Music.

When asked if she will miss skating, Ms. Sunn answered, "No! I will be trying out for the skating team at Brock University in the autumn, so hopefully I will be able to continue skating!" At Brock, Ms. Sunn has been accepted into the Concurrent Education Program (Primary/Junior) with hopes of teaching elementary school in York Region, where she attended school from kindergarten to grade 3.

This summer, Ms. Sunn will be teaching at Winning Techniques, a summer camp for many sports, including figure skating, near Huntsville, where she was a prior camper for three years.

"Thank you to the Uxbridge Skating Alumni for giving me this scholarship. And thank you to Uxbridge Skating Club for welcoming me when I was a shy 10-year-old. The club members and staff feel like family, especially my coaches, Candace Glover and Johanna Otten, who have always been people I could talk to when I was feeling the pressures of skating. I will miss them," Ms. Sunn commented. Lastly, Ms. Sunn thanks her parents "for their dedication, patience and for the many hours in the cold arena, watching me skate!"

Kathryn Sunn is a very well-deserving recipient of the Marion Cassie Memorial Scholarship for 2026. She is sure to make the Uxbridge Community and the Uxbridge Skating Alumni very proud.