Bill N. from Chaminade College School was awarded Canada’s largest undergraduate scholarship. He has been selected to receive the $100,000 Schulich Leader Scholarship. Schulich Leader Scholarships support Canada’s top talent in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM).
"Leadership thrives on the chase of never-ending improvement. Born to two Vietnamese immigrants, I grew up immersed in Vietnamese culture and was always involved in my Vietnamese community, kindling within me a passion for family and culture. Life was moving smoothly until COVID lockdowns hit. With the decline in youth engagement that accompanied being home, my community needed role models that kids could look up to and learn from. I decided to take action. As older role models played a key role in building interest and teaching me about my culture, I felt obligated to help rejuvenate my once-strong community. Devoting myself to initiatives such as helping the Vietnamese school that played such a key part of my development into the person I am today. Leading initiatives such as teaching youth within my community traditional lion dancing in preparation for events such as lunar new year. As well as participating in youth groups where I directly served as a role model for kids grade 3-8 so they would embrace their culture and have a sort of familial bond with our community. The raging fire within me was now a shared flame among the youth in my community, and my dream of helping others learn about themselves and build a strong community for generations to come was fulfilled.
My commitment extends to my religion, amounting to over 600 community service hours; every hour I amassed, helped to grow as a leader. Mentoring altar servers within my local church helped me cultivate a sense of patience and how to effectively share my ideas with any audience. While my commitment within community initiatives such as weekly events such as making and donating food to homeless people in downtown Toronto, helped build in my gratitude and generosity. As well as extending from my tutoring business, I set up a program where those who showed extra passion for learning could get free tutoring by me and my colleagues for free, in an attempt to help grow the future generation. I am also very involved in my school community, as vice-president of my school’s student council. I have spearheaded fundraising and initiatives that have raised over $40,000, directly supporting my school’s clubs and events. I have also effectively advocated for my school community’s needs, meeting with influential figures like the Premier of Ontario to advocate for a new school building. These actions have led me to understand the meaning of leadership, how to build a community, and how to collaborate with my peers to forge a better future.
From a young age, I always had a relentless desire to overcome problems and help people. As a very hard-working person, I hated sitting around not doing anything, and always tried to stay productive. Coupled with my love for technology I decided to join my school Robotics Team. Coming in with no prior robotics knowledge I was lost, but I did not let that stop me. I made it my mission to learn everything about robotics. My curiosity and competitive nature to know everything fed my intellectual curiosity and I began watching countless hours of robotic tutorials and asking mentors on my robotics team for guidance. My school’s Robotics Team helped me develop interests in technology, robotics, and problem-solving. Leading me to work on projects such as my self watering flowerpot and sending me down a rabbit whole of interest.. Real-life exposure to the powers of innovation, along with my desire to solve modern-world challenges with technology, played a pivotal role in my passion for the STEM field as a whole. "
Bill N. | Chaminade College School