Each year, the Schulich Leader Scholarship is awarded to students across Canada pursuing programs in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics). We connected with York's six incoming Schulich Leader Scholars to learn more about them and how they became interested in these fields.
Shaheryar Ahmed, Engineering
Shaheryar says he looks up to his uncle, who is an engineer. This inspired him to focus on science and math in school. His interest in engineering was furthered when he and his classmates came first in a model popsicle stick bridge-building competition.
“I just felt a lot of excitement and a lot of fun building it and collaborating with others,” he says.
Now that he is studying engineering at York, one of Shaheryar’s goals for the future is to develop accessible technologies and inspire other young people to study STEM.
“I want to work at solving world issues in general, especially surrounding electrical engineering, technology and creating efficient systems to make the world safer, cleaner and help others achieve their goals,” he says.
Evelina Demcov, Computer Science
Evelina has been interested in learning about technology since she was a child, and credits her dad for fueling her passion.
“He would give me old technology and I would play with it, optimize it, clean it, open it up,” she says. “I felt that studying Computer Science would very much continue my desire for learning computers by allowing me to build my skills and bring those skills into society where I’m able to help other people.”
Evelina says she is excited to explore the club community at York and work on projects with others who have similar interests.
“It’s really nice to be able to connect or reach out to those people,” she says. “Even in my future, to be able to keep those connections is very important to me."
Taylean Johnson, Mechatronics Engineering
“I was a Lego and technology kid,” says Taylean. “I chose Mechatronics Engineering because, at first, it sounded cool, but I feel like learning all the engineering disciplines will also be good for future job opportunities.”
Taylean says she’s excited for Lassonde’s block model option and participating in design sprints.
“I’m definitely looking forward to hands-on teamwork projects for sure,” she adds. “I feel like there’s a lot of hands-on opportunities, like 3D printing and labs.”
When thinking about the future, Taylean has an interest in working with prosthetics.
“I’m interested in exploring accessibility and diversity through engineering, and what technology can do and who it can reach.”
Christian Menezes, Engineering
Christian’s background in racing cars is the reason why he chose to pursue engineering at York. He hopes that his degree will enable him to continue contributing to his racing team's success in the future.
“It's one thing to be behind the steering wheel and control the car, but it‘s another to be able to understand what it's capable of, how to make it that couple of times faster,” he says.
Christian adds that he is looking forward to experiencing York's its tight-knit community.
“The one-on-one connections in racing are 90% of what got me to where I am today,” he says. “So to be able to have a closer community, more personal relationships with your professors, classmates and everything, that made it very enticing to come to York, because that's a big part of who I am today.”
Nathaniel Moodie, Computer Science
Nathaniel chose to pursue Computer Science at York because he has “always enjoyed solving problems and the wizardry involved in figuring out how things work.”
“What excites me most about computer science is how versatile it is and how it can be applied to almost any field and any problem,” he adds.
While at York, Nathaniel is excited to explore co-op and research opportunities throughout his degree.
“I want to gain practical experience, work on group projects with other students and professionals and learn from professors who are doing interesting work in computer science,” he says. “I’m also looking forward to getting involved with people with similar interests as me.”
Zackery Nudelman, Actuarial Science
Zackery says he has “always understood mathematics and science in a way that helps me see patterns and solutions differently.”
“I’m drawn to fields where analytical thinking can directly improve people’s lives,” he adds.
York’s Actuarial Science program stood out to Zackery for both its academic depth and its practical approach to solving real-world problems. Equally important to him was feeling a sense of belonging within the York community.
“I’m looking forward to engaging with professors who value diverse perspectives, furthering my knowledge and growth and participating in the actuarial science community,” he says. “I’m also excited to get involved on campus and contribute to initiatives that support inclusion and accessibility in STEM.”
Learn more about awards for incoming York students, including the Schulich Leader Scholarship, on our Future Students website.