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Community support carries Nanaimo volunteer to victory in scholarship contest

Mar 4, 2019 | 3:47 PM

NANAIMO — A drama-filled contest went down to the wire, ending with Nanaimo’s Emily Hoppe winning an international scholarship.

The 19-year-old Dover Bay Secondary graduate came from behind to gain the most online votes to go abroad for a two-week volunteering trip.

Hoppe was working Sunday, but clinged to any hope she could grasp onto as she trailed by several hundred votes.

“I had people texting me constantly reminding me ‘She went down votes and she went up votes.’ I had no idea where this was going to end, but it ended in a good spot for sure.”

Winning the International Volunteer Headquarters contest has Hoppe leaning toward a trip to help impoverished students in Fiji this summer.

Hoppe, who has compiled more than 2,000 volunteer hours in Nanaimo since grade 9, was the lone Canadian in a field of eight international competitors.

Voting irregularities confirmed to Hoppe by the scholarship group added another layer to the contest’s wild ending.

Hoppe was in second place for most of the two-week voting period, and trailed a California opponent by roughly 1,500 votes Sunday just hours before voting closed.

“It was something to do with an IP address and getting a big number of votes in a certain matter of minutes,” Hoppe said.

People were only intended to vote once every 24 hours.

Hoppe ended up with nearly 3,100 votes, about 450 clear of the runner-up.

The aspiring teacher thanked the people of Nanaimo for voting her into the volunteer opportunity of a lifetime.

“I’m thankful for all of the friends and family that have also supported me and kept me going.”

 

ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes