Photo: Contributed

The Rotary Club of Penticton Sunrise is pleased to recognize Kaiya Forbes, grade 12 student at Princess Margaret Secondary School, as Rotary Student of the Month for April.

The Rotary Club of Penticton Sunrise is pleased to recognize Kaiya Forbes, an all-round, goal-oriented, industrious and altruistic grade 12 student at Princess Margaret Secondary School, as Rotary Student of the Month for April.

Club members commended her outstanding achievements in academics and athletics along with consummate leadership in numerous community fund-raising and school spirit-enhancing activities.

Forbes, who was born in Fort St. John and raised in Penticton, is the older of two children in a family active in competitive sports.

She is firmly committed to pursuing academic excellence, has thoroughly enjoyed her studies at Maggie, especially the science subjects, both biological and physical (chemistry, physics), in which she has achieved a grade average of 94%.

Curiosity-motivated, Forbes became so fascinated by genetics in the biology unit during the first semester of grade 10 that she switched her courses in the second semester to take Biology 11, exploring lower organisms, such as worms and crickets, and then dissecting them.

She continued into Grade 11 with Anatomy and Physiology 12, where she studied human body parts and their functions and dissected a sheep heart and brain.

Forbes’ teachers have consistently praised her study habits and character.

Her math teacher, Chris Becker, remarked, “Kaiya is one of my favourite students. Congenial and upbeat, she is extremely hardworking and always goes beyond what is required. She prepares thoroughly, asks thoughtful questions, and completes work promptly and accurately. In short, she quietly does what’s needed to excel.”

Athletics has been a major part of Forbes’ development starting at age 4 when she began skating under her father’s guidance and started playing hockey and softball the following year.

As her skills developed, she quickly became very competitive in both sports, playing on the Penticton U15 and Summerland U17 rep hockey teams and various rep softball teams including Kelowna All-Stars, Kelowna Heat and the elite Fraser Valley Fusion “A” team in Langley.

Forbes values sports not only for the skills and discipline they build, but also for how they prepare her to tackle challenges in academics and life.

“Team sports taught me the importance of perseverance, teamwork, creativity and self-confidence—lessons I now apply every day,” she said.

Since stepping away from competitive sports upon entering grade 11 to focus on her academics, Forbes has drawn upon her vast playing experience to coach several area softball teams, thus giving back to a sport that helped shape her.

She served as assistant coach of the Thompson Okanagan Softball team which competed in the 2024 BC Summer Games and is currently coaching with the South Okanagan Sun Softball Academy U15 team in Kelowna.

Her father and former coach, PJ Forbes, commented, “Kaiya has always shown a strong competitive spirit. Watching her transition from player to coach has been incredibly rewarding. She now uses her knowledge and experience to lift others and guide them in their athletic journeys. Her leadership, maturity and commitment are exceptional.”

Forbes’ enrolled in the leadership program this year and quickly became a mainstay of the vibrant team, thanks in part to encouragement from her friend Ushman Gill.

This year, Forbes co-led the 10,000 Tonight food drive, a large-scale, city-wide initiative benefiting the local Salvation Army food bank. The drive, organized jointly with Penticton Secondary School, required four weeks of preparation and the coordination of over 600 student volunteers.

Forbes has also led several other school events, including Cancer Awareness Week (raising funds for the local oncology clinic) and will be leading the upcoming Earth Week campaign (focused on promoting sustainable practices), and an upcoming Canadian Blood Services donation drive. She has also supported annual events such as the Terry Fox Run and the Remembrance Day Ceremony.

Forbes understandably identifies time management as her greatest challenge, requiring her to prioritize and deftly balance her many commitments, including part-time retail work.

She also enjoys kickboxing, recreational slow pitch and going for walks after dinner with her mom.

Upon graduation, Forbes plans to pursue a Bachelor of Science majoring in Biology at the University of Fraser Valley, with the long-term goal of entering medical school and eventually specializing in neurosurgery.

Irrespective of her career path, this gifted young lady exhibits in spades many of the quality traits of highly successful people—studious, laser-focused, tenacious, and resilient. These traits, along with an engaging and caring personality, portend a bright future.