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Drum roll, please. Four high school graduates from Halton District School Board (HDSB), including three from Oakville, won undergraduate scholarships totalling $440,000 to study Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in their post-secondary education.
The prestigious Schulich Leader Scholarships are awarded to 100 entrepreneurial-minded high school students with "outstanding academic achievement and involvement in extracurricular activities." The scholarships are available at 20 partner universities across Canada.
HDSB
Caroline Huang/ Abbey Park High School
She won a scholarship of $100,000 and is set to join the University of Waterloo to study computer science. Her exposure to subjects like cybersecurity, ethical AI, and biotechnology happened through STEM projects at her high school.
With experience gathered from several leadership roles, she wants to continue leading and innovating by launching a startup or consulting firm.
She considers participating in the Bay Area Science and Engineering Fair (BASEF), which opened award-winning opportunities at the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) and represents a partnership between three civil society organizations at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women" as her unique achievements.
HDSB
Manasva Katyal/ White Oaks Secondary School
Also enrolled in Computer Science program at the University of Waterloo, this student won $100,000 through the scholarship program.
He dreams of working in a multidisciplinary field related to technology, especially in roles wherein computer science and astrophysics/aviation intersect.
In the last two years at the high school, he was deeply involved in school and community-based STEM leadership positions, including running his school's computer science club and organizing an HDSB-wide hackathon.
A member of Oakville's Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron for the past six years, he earned his Glider Pilot's License last summer and is now pursuing his Private Pilot's License through the program.
HDSB
Evie Bouganim/ Oakville Trafalgar High School
She aspires "to lead the design and development of robotics and automation systems with specific application to the biotechnology industry” in the future.
With a scholarship of $120,000, she will pursue the University of Waterloo's mechatronics engineering program. A leader of the FIRST Robotics team, she has mentored robotics programs, volunteered at elementary schools, and ran local and international STEM showcases.
With a passion for learning, she continues to "find more opportunities for growth, such as bands and science fairs," and is currently completing her second engineering co-op.
