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Students at the University of British Columbia receive Canada’s largest Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) scholarship

Universities announce their 2018 Schulich Leaders, each winning $100,000 or $80,000 for undergraduate study.

Emily Cross, Ronin Cunningham, Rebecca Lim and Mateo Pekic have been named the University of British Columbia’s recipients of the prestigious Schulich Leader Scholarship.

This year, out of a pool of 350,000 potential candidates across Canada, 1,400 students were nominated, of which 50 received this celebrated award.

Mateo Pekic, 17, is a recipient of the $100,000 Schulich Leader Scholarship. A graduate of Prince of Wales Secondary in Vancouver, BC, Pekic will be entering the Faculty of Applied Science this fall. Pekic was selected for his leadership within his school, editing the school yearbook and devising Filacycle to help improve recycling and promote innovation among peers by recycling plastics for use in 3D printers. In his extracurricular time, Pekic also created a business to increase access to prototyping services for the community.

Rebecca Lim, 18, is a recipient of the $100,000 Schulich Leader Scholarship. A graduate of Frank Hurt Secondary School Surrey, BC, Lim will be entering the Faculty of Applied Science this fall. Lim was selected for her leadership both at school and in her community: she helped to establish a STEM club at school, serves as a volunteer hockey coach for youth, and plays on the Surrey Falcon Midget C1 team.

Emily Cross, 18, is a recipient of the $80,000 Schulich Leader Scholarship. A graduate of Hammarskjold High School in Thunder Bay, ON, Cross will be entering the Faculty of Science this fall. Cross was selected not only for her many achievements in science research – her projects earned her a nomination to Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honour Society – but also for her efforts to mentor and empower girls and youth in her community.

Ronin Cunningham, 18, is a recipient of the $80,000 Schulich Leader Scholarship. A graduate of Seycove Secondary in North Vancouver, BC, Cunningham will be entering the Faculty of Science this fall. Cunningham’s initiative in teaching himself programming, which has resulted in him already embarking on a professional career, as well as his volunteer leadership at school and in his creation of a documentary about Vancouver’s Chinatown were key factors in his selection.

“Schulich Leader Scholarships are the largest STEM scholarships in Canada. With 50 outstanding students selected each year from across Canada, this group represents the best and brightest Canada has to offer,” says program founder Seymour Schulich. “These students will make great contributions to society, both on a national and global scale. With their university expenses covered, they can focus their time on their studies, research projects, extracurricular, and entrepreneurial ventures. They are the next generation of technology innovators.”

About Schulich Leader Scholarships Canada

Schulich Leader Scholarships are prestigious entrance scholarships awarded to 50 high school graduates enrolling in a Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) undergraduate program at 20 partner universities in Canada. Each year, every high school in Canada can submit one Schulich Leader Nominee based on academic excellence in STEM, entrepreneurial leadership and financial need.

Recognizing the increasing importance and impact that STEM disciplines will have on the prosperity of future generations, businessman and philanthropist Seymour Schulich established this $100 million scholarship fund in 2012 to encourage our best and brightest students to become the next pioneers of global scientific research and innovation.

About the University of British Columbia

The University of British Columbia is a global centre for research and teaching, consistently ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world. Since 1915, UBC’s entrepreneurial spirit has embraced innovation and challenged the status quo. UBC encourages its students, staff and faculty to challenge convention, lead discovery and explore new ways of learning. At UBC, bold thinking is given a place to develop into ideas that can change the world.