Daniel Valentini couldn’t believe his eyes when he read the letter informing him of his Schulich Leader Scholarship.
“I called McGill to confirm, and they told me it was real. I think I was in shock,” says Valentini, a graduate of Dawson College in Montreal who is entering McGill’s Faculty of Science.
Valentini is one of six incoming Schulich Leaders at McGill, recipients of Canada’s largest Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) scholarship. The scholarships are valued at $100,000 for students pursuing Science, Technology or Mathematics programs and $120,000 for students studying Engineering.
Nami Dwyer from Canmore, AB and Thanasis Wees of Comox, BC are also starting Science degrees at McGill.
The three Schulich Leaders entering McGill’s Faculty of Engineering are Montrealers Andreea-Nicole Calenciuc and Yanni Klironomos, and Allison Hutchings from St. John’s, NL.
McGill alumnus Seymour Schulich BSc’61, MBA’65, DLitt’04, created the visionary scholarship program to encourage top students to become the next generation of entrepreneurial-minded technology innovators. Every year, Schulich Leader Scholarships are awarded to 100 students from high schools and CEGEPs who are enrolling in an undergraduate STEM program at 20 partner universities across Canada, including McGill.
“This scholarship is truly life-changing,” says Valentini. “It grants me the ability to focus all my attention on my studies and dedicate my energy to impacting the world through innovations in bioinformatics.”
Valentini is undertaking a joint major in Computer Science and Biology at McGill. “I’m really interested in molecular biology, specifically genomics. I believe computation is the strongest tool for innovation in this field,” he says.
He was involved in a bioinformatics research project during an internship, which inspired him to pursue studies at the intersection of biology and computer science, says Valentini, who wants to lead a startup in the future.
Like all the Schulich Leaders, Nami Dwyer accomplished impressive things before reaching university. “I took the lead in conducting a school-wide energy efficiency audit which resulted in implementation of sustainable practices across my school board,” says Dwyer, who has a passion for STEM and leadership through community.
She presented the project at a youth summit at the UN’s COP28 in Dubai, where she was one of four Canadian youth delegates. She also served on youth councils in her hometown as well as in Japan where she spent part of Grade 11 (she’s fluent in Japanese).
“I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to become a part of the Schulich community,” Dwyer says.
In Newfoundland, Allison Hutchings learned the happy news about her Schulich Leader Scholarship as she was leaving track practice.
Winning this award opens up so many opportunities for me,” says Hutchings. “[It] allows me to expand my horizons and attend university outside of my home province.
It also allows me to focus on my studies and hone my leadership skills without worrying about finances.” Moreover, the scholarship provides access to the Schulich Leaders network, adds Hutchings, “an extensive network of like-minded students, professionals and entrepreneurs which I believe will greatly benefit me in the future.”
Hutchings will be studying computer engineering, sparked by her keen interest in computing, coding and robotics. She captained her high school’s robotics team, which attended the 2024 MATE ROV (remotely operated vehicle) world championship, and would like to eventually launch her own tech company.
Thanasis Wees led his school’s math club, launched a summer outdoor youth math education camp and served in an executive capacity on the Comox Youth Council on Vancouver Island. He plans to major in Computer Science and Mathematics at McGill. “I chose it because those are both very useful and marketable skills and are also building blocks of cognitive science,” he says.
“I’m hoping to research how to apply various methods or technologies to change the structure of our education system,” says Wees, who wants to create an individualized tutoring platform using artificial intelligence.
Andreea-Nicole Calenciuc is entering the Software Engineering program. “I chose this program because I have a genuine passion for programming and problem-solving in general. It will help me develop versatile skills that can be applied in a variety of industries,” says Calenciuc, who wants to pursue a career as a software engineer and create new technologies that improve people’s quality of life.
A graduate of Marianopolis College in Westmount, QC, Calenciuc says she is proud of her CEGEP thesis “in which I presented some of the most commonly used mathematical and computational models in quantitative finance. I am also proud of my role as an executive at my CEGEP’s research club, where I established the first club-led lab project, which was about wastewater contamination.”
Yanni Klironomos, a graduate of John Abbott College on Montreal’s West Island, is enrolled in the Software Engineering Co-op program. He hopes to one day create a startup that develops software to help with health diagnostics, among other things.
“This scholarship allows me to focus entirely on my passions, providing me the ability to create my dream career path and future,” says Klironomos, who is enthusiastic about technology’s ability to advance different spheres in society.
As a CEGEP student, Klironomos’ activities included working as a nanoscience research assistant and participating in a psychological study as a student researcher.
“I am excited for the path ahead and honoured to be joining fellow Schulich Leaders [at McGill],” Klironomos says. “I am incredibly grateful to the Schulich Foundation for creating this positive ripple effect.”