PORT MOODY
Council and Youth Focus Committee present Kobe Li with Youth Scholarship Award

Kobe Li (third from left) receives a $1,000 Youth Scholarship Award from Port Moody City Council and the Youth Focus Committee on July 9, 2024. Pictured are (from l-r) Vincent Zhao (Chair, Youth Focus Committee), Mayor Meghan Lahti, Kobe Li (award recipient) and Jonas McConville (Youth Focus Committee member)

On July 9, 2024, City Council members and Youth Focus Committee Chair Vincent Zhao presented Port Moody resident Kobe Li, who graduated from Port Moody Secondary School in June, with the 2024 Youth Scholarship Award. 

"On behalf of City Council and the Youth Focus Committee, I'd like to congratulate Kobe and wish him all the best as he gets ready to pursue post-secondary studies at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario," said Mayor Meghan Lahti. "The Youth Scholarship Award recognizes leadership, contributions to school and community, and excellence in academics, athletics, arts, or technical education. Kobe has shown a great deal of dedication in his efforts to help others and achieve excellence in both academics and athletics. We are very pleased to present Kobe with a $1,000 scholarship to help him further his education and meet his goals." 

Kobe has volunteered countless hours both in and outside of school. He has served as student council president, organized a TEDx event, coached his school's cross-country team, planned the Tri-City REACH Awards, and has been an active and valuable member of Port Moody's Youth Focus Committee. Kobe founded 20/20 Mission, an organization that collects, cleans, sorts, and donates used eyeglasses to third-world countries. Donation boxes are set up in more than 40 eyewear shops, optometry clinics, recreation centres, and libraries. Since 2023, more than 3,000 pairs of eyeglasses have been collected.  

Kobe has been an avid athlete his entire life, dedicating more than 10,000 hours to sports since his early years at elementary school. He received recognition as School District 43's Athlete of the Month in 2024 while competing in cross country, track and field, ultimate frisbee, skiing, and golf. Kobe is also black belt in Taekwondo. He created Port Moody Secondary's Instagram account for athletics, which now has more than 1,000 followers and 50,000 "likes." This has helped to improve the school's athletic culture and connect the students and community. 

Throughout his high school years in the International Baccalaureate Program, Kobe maintained a 97 per cent grade point average. At university, he plans to study integrated biomedical engineering and health sciences. 

Each year, the City of Port Moody awards a $1,000 scholarship to a student who intends to pursue post-secondary education after Grade 12. Learn more about the Youth Scholarship Program at portmoody.ca.