A student at Sarnia's Great Lakes Secondary School has been awarded a $100,000 scholarship to study engineering at Western University.
Guidance counsellor Karen L'Heureux says Joy Shah is the first nominee to win a Schulich Leader Scholarship in the Lambton Kent District School Board.
She says she encouraged him to apply because he had outstanding academic and extra-curricular achievements.
"He's an exceptional student in all areas, but specifically in the math and sciences," says L'Heureux. "He has a real passion for renewable energy, so he has been involved in the nation-wide science fair projects and they took bronze this year by developing a fuel cell."
She says she was thrilled to hear the news.
"I was just beaming. I rushed him down to see the principal. I just couldn't believe it," says L'Heureux. "I mean, it's life changing. $100,000 for post secondary."
Schulich Leader Scholarships are prestigious entrance scholarships awarded to high school graduates entering in a science, technology, engineering or mathematics undergraduate program at participating universities in Canada and Israel.
The $100-million scholarship fund was established in 2012 by Seymour Schulich to encourage Canada's best and brightest students to become our next pioneers of global scientific research and innovation.
The program awards 100 scholarships, valued at more than $7-million, each year.