Keneca Pingue-Giles on the basketball court
WINNIPEG, MB – A promising basketball star poised to graduate from The University of Winnipeg Collegiate Model School will be flying to Toronto on April 30 to receive a prestigious national award. The Harry Jerome Awards honours excellence in African-Canadian achievement.
Keneca Pingue-Giles, 17-years-old, got involved in sports through a Boys & Girls Club after-school program. She soon caught the eye of coaches, and in Grade 9, was selected for the Team Manitoba Under-15 basketball team.
In 2009, Keneca’s athleticism and drive for excellence paved the way for a scholarship to attend UWinnipeg’s Model School. She played on both the Junior Varsity volleyball and basketball teams and was the captain for both teams. She was also voted Most Valuable Player on the basketball team and won an Athlete of the Year Award.
In the summer of 2009, Keneca was chosen to play for the Team Manitoba Under-17 basketball team. She has travelled to Chicago to play in the Nike Summer Showcase, as well as Minneapolis and Prince Edward Island, where she participated in the Canada Summer Games.
In addition, Keneca gives back by volunteering with the Boys and Girls Club 10-year-old girls’ basketball team as the assistant coach. Under her leadership, the club went on to become a finalist in the Winnipeg Minor Basketball Association.
“To be recognized by such an esteemed group of people for something I am so passionate about is incredibly validating, and it means the world to me,” said Keneca. “This award will only help me continue to reach my goals both academically and in sport.”
Keneca has just been accepted to Ryerson University, where she will continue her basketball career.
The 2011 Harry Jerome Awards will be presented April 30 at the Toronto Congress Centre.
BACKGROUND
The Black Business and Professional Association (BBPA) is a non-profit charitable organization that serves to address equity and opportunity for the Black community in business, employment, education and economic development. It sponsors the annual Harry Jerome Award.
UWinnipeg’s Model School is an initiative that began in September 2008. Students who show potential but need a different kind of learning environment are referred to the Model School by schools and community organizations. Students receive individualized learning plans so they can reach their fullest potential.
