Published 9:00 pm Thursday, December 4, 2025
Peace Arch News By Tricia Leslie
Young people in Surrey were honoured at the 15th annual Service Above Self Surrey Youth (SASSY) Awards at city hall. (City of Surrey photo/Contributed to Peace Arch News)
The 15th annual Service Above Self Surrey Youth (SASSY) Awards were held last week (Nov. 28) at Surrey City Hall to celebrate outstanding youth achievement and community contributions.
Presented by Semiahmoo Rotary Club in partnership with the City of Surrey, the awards honour the city’s young people in four categories: Community Leadership and Service; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Leadership and Service Beyond Adversity; and School Leadership and Service.
“It is my pleasure to congratulate all the passionate young people recognized at this year’s SASSY Awards,” said Mayor Brenda Locke in a release. “Their energy, courage, and commitment inspire hope for the future. I want to thank each of them for helping shape a brighter city and for inspiring others to lead in their communities.”
For the first time, each category featured both Junior (under 16) and Senior (17 and older) divisions, resulting in a total of 20 awards (seven recipients and 13 finalists).
Recipients received a cash prize, a donation to present to a charity of their choice, and a SASSY trophy.
Runner-ups in each category also received cash awards and charitable donations.
Proceeds support Rotary youth programs such as Interact and Rotaract, empowering young people to lead initiatives both locally and globally; any surplus funds will go toward special youth projects in the community and future SASSY Awards.
Winners in each category are:
Community Leadership and Service
Senior: Sabrina Ye
Junior: Olivia Zhang
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Senior: Jasleen Sandhu
Junior: Jiya Arora
Leadership and Service Beyond Adversity
Senior: Madison-Lynn Perreault
School Leadership and Service
Senior: Roop Kaur Dhillon
Junior: Yi Zhang