Harry Mattiussi isn’t your average high school grad heading off to college.
The 19 year-old from Southampton has worked at the local Tim Horton’s since it opened nearly two years ago and is the winner of a one thousand dollar scholarship for his post-secondary studies.
He won the scholarship for writing an essay about why teenagers should work at Tim Horton’s.
Mattiussi says it gives them an opportunity to start a working career, become a more rounded person, and be responsible with money, time management, and work habits.
Five years ago, Mattiussi suffered a stroke when he was only 14 during a day surgery heart procedure.
He spent several months in rehabilitation. His parents Rick and Barb stayed by him for the entire time, living in a camper trailer in the parking lot of a Toronto hospital.
Barb Mattiussi says you do what you have to in order to make things work.
She says that during that time, their other son looked after things at home in Southampton, their daughter was in university, and friends and family rallied together to help them.
Harry is heading to Cambrian College in Sudbury to study pre-health sciences, with the goal of becoming an x-ray technician.
He says the influence for that is that he wants to help people and his Mom is a nurse.
Louise Harshman, co-owner of the Southampton Tim Horton’s, says Harry has the hearts of everyone in Southampton.
She says he comes to work with a positive attitude everyday and does his job 200 per cent.
Harshman says he motivates the other staff and is an inspiration to everyone he knows.