University of Saskatchewan receives prestigious STEM scholarships
Joel Pollak and Vaidehee Lanke have been named the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) recipients of the prestigious Schulich Leader Scholarship that recognize achievement in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
This year, out of a pool of 350,000 potential candidates across Canada, 1,400 students were nominated, of whom 50 received this celebrated award.
Pollak, 19, is a recipient of the $100,000 Schulich LeaderScholarship. A graduate of Blyth Academy Waterloo in Kitchener, Ont., he will enter the Bachelor of Science in Engineering program this fall. Pollak was selected on the basis of his outstanding academic achievement and service to the community, both core requirements for the award, as well as his dedication to social justice and technological innovation.
“To me, this scholarship means the world,” said Pollak. “I’m now able to attend my university of first choice, and I’m given the luxury of being able to focus on studies and other academic initiatives. When it comes time to decide, I plan on going into mechanical engineering.I love the art of troubleshooting, and redesigning existing products, or systems to fit alternate use cases.”
Lanke, 18, is a recipient of the $80,000 Schulich Leader Scholarship. A graduate of Aden Bowman Collegiate in Saskatoon, she will enter the Bachelor of Science program this fall. Lanke was selected on the basis of her outstanding academic achievement and her service to community, as well as her passion for science, making science accessible to young people, and gender equality.
“It’s very exciting to have the Schulich scholarship. It represents so much of what I have worked for and what I would like to work for in the future,” said Lanke. “I love that it represents STEM, which is so important to me and what I think I want to do to make a difference in the world and use those tools to do so. But also, it really focuses on student leadership and I like that because I think as young people we have so many ideas and so many passions and we can utilize them to create a better world.”
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,” said 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.”