The Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) has awarded two female and two male student-athlete’s educational scholarships that will go towards their post-secondary education.
Taylor Bierlmeier, Marcus Dashevsky, Solomon Kim, and Hayley Lee are this year’s recipients of the CSSHL Scholarship.
The CSSHL would like to recognize student-athletes who develop their life skills while concentrating on their hockey development. The scholarships are open to all current and former male or female student athletes of the CSSHL that are currently in their graduating year of high school or up to 20 years old.
A selection committee from the CSSHL review’s all applications and selects recipients based on four categories: Education, Citizenship and Character, Hockey, and References.
Taylor Bierlmeier:
A forward from Whitehorse, YT, Bierlmeier joined the CSSHL in 2020/21. In four seasons with the Okanagan Hockey Academy Female U17 and U18 Prep teams, Bierlmeier tallied 31 points in 93 games.
“There are endless amazing student-athletes in this league, so I am honoured to be one of the four chosen to receive this scholarship. In the past four years, the league has shaped me to become the person I am today; I could not have portrayed half of the Academic Excellence, Character, Citizenship and Sportsmanship qualities I did if it was not for this organization. I am extremely grateful for the development it provided me with, and the recognition associated with this award. I greatly appreciated all of the support from the CSSHL in the past, as well as in the future as I pursue my post-secondary aspirations,” said Bierlmeier.
In 2024/25 Bierlmeier will play for the Arizona State University (ASU) women’s hockey team while studying Kinesiology. She plans on playing there her entire undergraduate degree, then continuing her education in Canada. Bierlmeier intends on becoming a Sports Medicine Physician to help athletes reach their greatest potential.
She chose to play at ASU because of their strong hockey team, prime location, and having her desired program. “I cannot complain about continuing my education, while playing hockey, and living in a city with palm trees,” added Bierlmeier. “I am intrigued to learn about optimizing sports performance; therefore, I chose Kinesiology as my undergraduate. Then, to stay involved in the sports atmosphere and have the ability to transfer my knowledge to other athletes, I will become a Sports Medicine Physician.”
“Playing in the CSSHL taught me to balance hockey and school; I learnt how to maintain my grades regardless of my absences. I learnt to communicate with teachers, develop a self determination to complete all assignments to the best of my abilities, and found time to make up any tests I missed. The league also taught me to shoot for perfection. It has a competitive nature that pushed me to my greatest potential. Not only did it advance my athletic, but it taught me to be the best person possible, and it set me up for successful in the future,” added Bierlmeier.
Marcus Dashevsky:
Dashevsky spent five years in the CSSHL for St. George’s School, joining the program in 2017/18 with their U15 team, working his way through the CSSHL development path until graduating from the program in 2021/22 after a season at the U18 Prep level. In 132 CSSHL games the Richmond, BC forward tallied 111 points. He spent last season in the GOJHL with the St. Mary’s Lincolns, tallying 6 points in 13 games.
“Winning this scholarship is a full-circle moment for me. Some of the best times of my life so far were spent wearing the St. Georges crest and playing in the CSSHL,” said Dashevsky. “I am extremely grateful to all of my coaches, teachers and the St Georges athletics department for making my time at Saints second to none. I am honoured and humbled to have been chosen as a winner of this award by the selection committee and am grateful to the CSSHL for enabling me to pursue my dreams, both on and off the ice.”
Dashevsky will return to Huron University in 2024/25 after completing the first year of the Political Science program, with a 3.9 GPA, starting in the fall of 2023.
Huron University offers a unique approach to education, as they prioritize an individualized education experience which includes smaller class sizes, easier access to help from professors and a first-class career services team. Taking this into consideration made the decision to choose Huron very easy as he felt that these unique services would allow him to get the most out of his education and prepare him for his future ahead. “During my first year at Huron, I was able to build strong relationships with my peers and professors, something which I credit to the strong sense of community which Huron strives to promote,” added Dashevsky.
Dashevsky chose the social science program at Huron because it matches his interests. The program focuses on teaching critical thinking and research, which helps him explore important topics like economic policies and political systems. The program also offers practical experiences through internships and community projects, letting him apply what he learned in real-world settings. Huron’s social sciences program supports his goal of making a positive impact on society and opens up many career opportunities for him.
“While I’m still undecided about my exact career path, I have a strong interest in business and believe that a career in business consulting would be incredibly rewarding. I thrive on the competitive aspects of the job and enjoy working in a team environment, both of which I attribute to my experience playing hockey with the St. George’s Hockey program in the CSSHL,” added Dashevsky. “In addition to my career aspirations, I am passionate about supporting philanthropic causes, particularly those that help children participate in sports. I have already started this journey by joining the Right to Play club at Western, and I hope to make even more significant contributions in the future.”
“Playing in the CSSHL taught me invaluable lessons in balancing hockey and school. The rigorous schedule required me to manage my time effectively, ensuring I could excel both on the ice and in the classroom. This experience instilled in me a disciplined approach to prioritizing tasks and maintaining focus, which has been crucial in my academic and personal development, as well as in maintaining academic success in my post-secondary studies,” added Dashevsky. “The CSSHL fostered a strong work ethic in me, emphasizing the importance of determination and resilience. The competitive nature of the league in combination with coaching I received at St Georges taught me to push through challenges and always strive for excellence. These lessons in perseverance and dedication have equipped me with essential skills and habits that continue to benefit me in all aspects of life.”
Solomon Kim:
The Seoul, South Korea defenseman joined CIH Academy in 2021/22 playing three seasons in the CSSHL Eastern Division. In 77 career games Kim tallied 18 points.
Kim was named to the CSSHL Eastern U17 Prep All-Academic Team in 2021/22 and 2022/23, while being named to the CSSHL Eastern U18 Prep All-Academic Team this past season. All three seasons he was also named the CSSHL Top Scholastic Athlete of the Year for his respective division.
After being accepted into multiple universities, Kim has yet to make a decision on where he will be going to school next year. He is currently leaning towards attending the University of Hong Kong to study Data Science and Engineering. The University of Hong Kong because is ranked as the 17th best university in the world while he chose this program because data science is a flexible major that is applicable in various industries while being closely tied with artificial intelligence, something that is currently on the rise with ChatGPT.
“One of the invaluable lessons I learned during my time in the CSSHL is how to win against yourself every day. Achieving academic excellence and pursuing a professional hockey career at the same time requires an unbelievable amount of self-control and discipline,” added Kim. “You need to be able to minimize impulsive behavior and focus on sticking to a routine. To do that, you need to win against your worst villain; you.”
Hayley Lee:
Lee joined Delta Hockey Academy for the 2023/24 Female U18 Prep season. The Surrey, BC forward recorded 30 points in 28 games this season with Delta Green.
“I am grateful and honoured to be awarded this scholarship. Being honoured by this community means they value the things that I have been able to do while in playing and officiating in this league; respect, pursuit of excellence, and volunteering. This award is truly a gift that will be used toward my schooling but more importantly a symbol of recognizing the accomplishments that I have worked towards,” said Lee.
Lee will join Liberty University in 2024/25 playing for their women’s hockey team while entering their nursing program. Lee wants to pursue nursing in aspirations to be like her mom who works in the pediatric emergency department. “My mom is a hero in my eyes always helping those in need and I want to be just like her. Liberty has an amazing institution for nursing and I cannot wait until the fall to get started in their program.”
Her future aspirations are to give back to the game that has given her so much with all of the successes and failures, memories and friendships that she has had. “I’m so grateful that women are now given the opportunity to play in the PWHL to help girls dream to play in our version of the NHL and now coaching in the NHL. I will continue to be a part of the game within the CSSHL and BC Hockey as an official and as a coach for young athletes. Eventually, I hope to be able to coach elite female levels of hockey, giving back to the game and providing mentorship and leadership to females in hockey. I hope to continue to pursue my own growth and pathway for hockey as well as start a career in nursing working with children.”
“The CSSHL has taught me the art of multitasking, which is a very important life skill. It really helped me better my time management while prioritizing work and sport as a balance. In this league, I felt like I was a part of something bigger. I learned that being on a team is just a small part of the game, but success comes when you are a good teammate. To be a great teammate you need to have good collaborative/communicative skills, drive to help yourself and others be successful, find ways to lift others up. All of these qualities create the best environment for an elite performance from a team. These skills not only for on the ice but skills you can use in your life outside of hockey,” added Lee.
“You also learn to be accountable for your effort. Whatever you put into school work or practice, it will affect the outcome of your performance whether it’s test or game time. Hard work is what makes you and your team successful. I was always taught, whatever effort you put into your practice/studying, that it will translate to your performance on the ice or in your grades. I’m grateful to have been a part of this league because I believe I have learnt skills that will make me more successful at university and in my future career as a nurse. Thank you for preparing me for the next part of my hockey journey in post-secondary hockey at Liberty.”
