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Jessie Meanwell got the news by email while she was at home and immediately flew downstairs to tell her parents.

Jessie and Henry are McMaster’s 2019 Schulich Leader Scholarship recipients. They are among the 50 STEM undergraduate students from 20 Canadian universities who received scholarships from the Schulich Foundation.  Joining Jessie and Henry from McMaster are Schulich Leaders in Engineering Arielle Ainabe and Arjun Snider.

Along with receiving $80,000 scholarships, Jessie and Henry join a national STEM network of 270 Schulich Leaders. Schulich Leader Scholarships were introduced in 2012 to help create the next generation of technology innovators and give the world its next Einstein. Seymour Schulich established the scholarships with a $100 million gift.

Jessie graduated from Westdale Secondary where she wrote an award-winning youth graphic novel about the Fibonacci sequence and competed in computer science, math and physics competitions while Henry attended Upper Canada College where he served as co-president of the Model United Nations team and performed in the senior jazz band.

McMaster consistently ranks among the top five universities that receive the most scholarship applications.

Henry Gage, Integrated Science 
“I was on my way to Guelph to compete in the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations track and field championships when I learned that I had received the Schulich Leader Scholarship. I was so focused on my upcoming race that when I read the email advising me that I had been awarded the scholarship it completely caught me off guard. I was obviously thrilled and somewhat disbelieving. Knowing the high caliber of the Schulich nominees and what a small percentage of that elite group would be awarded scholarships, I had not allowed myself to have any expectations. It was the greatest of honours to be a recipient of this prestigious award and I am humbled by the company in which I find myself!
 
Receiving the scholarship gave me the freedom to take an unpaid research internship this summer, which gave me valuable experience that would have been hard to find elsewhere. Aside from the generous funding the scholarship provides, it has allowed me to embark on my undergraduate experience with greater confidence knowing that being a Schulich leader is a highly recognized achievement that will help open doors to future internships, research opportunities and collaboration efforts with other science innovators.”

Jessie Meanwell, Mathematics & Statistics 
“I was at home when I found out I had received the Schulich scholarship to McMaster and I couldn’t believe it. I ran downstairs to tell my parents. We were all crying. Even today I can barely believe it. McMaster has everything that I was looking for in a university. I love how inclusive and diverse we are. With all the incredible scientific research being done here, I’m excited to study at McMaster.
 
The Schulich Leader Scholarship allows me to continue volunteering in my community. I am so grateful that I can stay involved in the homework help program for newcomers at my local community health centre and continue helping with Hess Street School. Being a part of the Schulich network will also give me research opportunities while doing my undergrad degree.”