UCalgary students receive prestigious Schulich Leader Scholarships

Ethan Rigby and Heide Adham have been named the 2017 Schulich Leader Award recipients for the University of Calgary. As recipients of this prestigious award, Rigby and Adham will receive scholarship packages valued at $100,000 and $80,000 respectively.

The Schulich Leader Scholarship program, launched in 2011 by Canadian business leader and philanthropist Seymour Schulich, supports high school graduates pursuing careers in STEM fields.

"Schulich Leader Scholarship recipients are the best and brightest STEM students in Canada," says Schulich. "I truly believe that many of these students will make great contributions to society, both on a national and global scale."

This year, more than 1,300 nominees vied for one of the 50 scholarships offered at schools across the country.

Rigby, from Medway High School in Arva, Ont., will enter the Schulich School of Engineering and the Haskayne School of Business in September, planning to complete a Bachelor of Engineering and Bachelor of Commerce combined degree.

A dedicated volunteer in his community, Rigby received an Ontario Youth Service Award last spring for his work with Scouts Canada as a Venture Scout and Beaver Activity Leader. Rigby is also a volunteer peer leader for the developmental education program at his high school and is part of the student executive team for the school's Best Buddies Program. He is a volunteer snowboarding coach for students with disabilities and a Special Olympics coach.

Rigby's advocacy for inclusiveness, his dedication to helping others and his passion and aptitude for math, science, computers and design helped make him a Schulich Leader.

Adham, from Grande Prairie Composite High School in Grande Prairie, Alta., plans to complete a Bachelor of Health Sciences degree in the Cumming School of Medicine.

Adham was instrumental in creating two successful service projects with Grande Prairie’s Sunrise Rotary Club, including the Walk for Water, which raised money for water sanitation for schools in Honduras. She also co-founded an Arts Exposure evening to showcase her school’s art programs and artists, and is a teacher in her local library’s Reading Buddies Program.

Adham hopes to use her degree as a foundation to work in biotechnology with a specialization in agriculture. Her strong leadership experience and exceptional academic achievement make Adham a model Schulich Leader.

To learn more about Schulich Leader Scholarships at the University of Calgary, visit the UCalgary Awards website.