In February, 90 students dedicated to making the world a better place will convene in Toronto as Loran Finalists for our National Selections. These outstanding young people were selected from more than 6,000 others who applied for the 2025 Loran Award. Only 36 of these students will be named as the newest Loran Scholars in March. 

The Loran Scholars Foundation believes the key to building a brighter future is empowering values-driven youth ready to embrace the challenge of leaving the world better than they found it. To find these young people, we look beyond marks to identify students with a guiding sense of purpose: those who demonstrate strength of character, a deep commitment to service, and exceptional leadership potential.

This year, finalists are travelling to Toronto from every corner of the country, from Black Creek, BC, to Whitehorse, YT, to Clarenville, NL, some of them leaving their community or getting on a plane solo for the first time. Over the course of the National Selections weekend, taking place Feb. 21-23, finalists will participate in a rigorous schedule of back-to-back interviews, seminars, and workshops. The process is challenging, but also highly rewarding—a chance for students to grow, reflect, and build connections with other community-engaged students. 

No two candidates are the same, but united in their desire to create positive change, here are a few ways finalists have already uplifted and continue to uplift their communities: 

• Secured a grant to build a prototype inspired by virtual-reality technology to support people living with epilepsy. 
• Founded a provincial Islamic Relief Collegial team, and expanded it to six post-secondary institutions within the year, with three more joining soon. 
• Organized and led advocacy and fundraising campaigns for orphans, raising $70,000, and sponsoring more than 100 orphans.
• Started an Instagram business at 13, making embroidered hats, canvases, patches, etc.
• Representing Team Ontario in Wheelchair Racing, and aspires to represent Canada internationally in the future.
• Founded an organization connecting students with the elderly population through performing arts in senior’s homes.

Naming only 36 Loran Scholars from a large pool of candidates with such incredible potential requires dedication and diligence. Nationals weekend is the final phase in Loran’s in-depth and nationwide selections process, which is carried out through the work of hundreds of volunteer assessors and interviewers, all of whom also embody the qualities of character, service, and leadership we look for in candidates. 

Offered in partnership with 25 Canadian universities, the Loran Award is the only award of its kind in Canada. Those selected as Loran Scholars benefit from a four-year leadership-enrichment program, financial support for undergraduate studies in the form of a tuition waiver and living stipend, diverse opportunities for experiential learning, one-on-one mentorship from a business or community leader, scholar gatherings, and a long-term community of peers, alumni, and supporters from coast to coast to coast.

Finalists not selected as Loran Scholars are eligible to receive a one-time $6,000 Loran Finalist Award tenable at any Canadian university. At the conclusion of our semi-final interviews, 70 students who distinguished themselves at that level received one-time $3,000 Loran Provincial & Territorial Awards. Overall, we will be investing close to $4M in 160 students across Canada this year.

Together, more than 680 Loran alumni form a diverse ecosystem of purpose-driven leaders pushing boundaries across an array of fields, such as technology, the arts, law, science, education, and finance. Moreover, eight Loran Scholars have gone on to clerk for the Supreme Court and 25 have been selected as Rhodes Scholars. Though their work spans a multitude of sectors and disciplines, Loran alumni share and continue to be guided by Loran’s core values of character, service, and leadership. Wherever their paths lead them, Loran Scholars share a lifelong commitment to leaving things better than they found them. Read more about the impact Loran alumni are making here and here.

Donate to Loran’s Fly a Finalist to Nationals Campaign today!

 Fly a Finalist to Nationals; Click here to donate points.

Media Contact
Lisa Paul, Manager, Community Engagement & Communications
lisa.paul@loranscholar.ca

2025 Loran Finalists

When Vincent Wong (’21) first heard he had been selected as a 2025 Rhodes Scholar, he thought he was dreaming. 

“I had to pinch myself to believe it was real. My heart was racing, and I screamed out loud, not knowing that I was on speakerphone with the entire selections committee. It was a surreal experience, reminiscent of the call I received for the Loran Award in 2021.”

One of 11 Canadians to be selected, Vincent is the 25th Loran Scholar to earn the prestigious award, which will allow him to pursue a fully funded postgraduate education at the University of Oxford.  

Growing up in Vancouver, Vincent frequently enjoyed hiking and camping on the coastal mountains. Inspired by his passion for the outdoors, he joined Scouts Canada when he was five, and over the next 13 years, Scouts fostered his passion for community service and leadership. Scouting expeditions to remote regions of British Columbia also inspired his desire to serve rural communities in the future.

Currently living in Montreal and studying at McGill, Vincent is wrapping up his undergraduate degree in honours neuroscience. On campus, Vincent has devoted more than 400 hours as a volunteer first responder with the McGill Student Emergency Response Team, a student-run team of 80+ volunteers offering free and accessible first aid services to the McGill community. In addition to his responding duties, Vincent has played an integral role in leading mental health initiatives and providing one-on-one peer support to his fellow first responders. He has also served on the editorial board for the McGill Journal of Global Health as the Outreach Editor since 2023. 

Loran’s summer work experiences were instrumental in sparking Vincent’s interest in research and global health. In 2022, he completed a community fellowship at the Institute for Circumpolar Health Research (ICHR) in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. His project—a collaboration with McMaster University’s Feast Centre for Indigenous STBBI Research—titled Strategic Research Agenda for Inuit Health, saw him collaborate with Inuit elders, youth, and community members to identify healthcare priorities in northern Canada. 

“Working directly with several Indigenous communities throughout the territory, I deepened my understanding of where I fit in the health and wellness narrative for Indigenous peoples. As someone who aspires to work in rural medicine, this internship was an eye-opening experience.”

The next year, Vincent conducted research for a summer at the University of British Columbia in the Rosin lab as a 2023 NSERC USRA Award recipient. There, he investigated immune processes that govern proper development of the embryo, specifically craniofacial development.

“Loran has encouraged me to take meaningful risks throughout my undergraduate degree,” he says. “The Rhodes community will also push me to explore new challenges and engage with complex global issues.”

Besides taking the time to apply for the Rhodes Scholarship, Vincent’s recent focus has been on lab work for his honours research project. In September 2023, eager to find a laboratory in a field related to his previous research experiences, Vincent connected with Dr. Jo Anne Stratton, whose lab conducts neuroimmunology research on multiple sclerosis (MS) at the Montreal Neurological Institute. 

“This research topic is relevant to my interests in neuroscience, but I also have a personal connection to MS. My close friend was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS two years ago. Her diagnosis attaches meaning to my work at the Stratton Lab, challenges me to ask hard questions, and pursue rigorous research for a cure to the disease.”

Looking ahead to the fall of 2025, Vincent plans to use the Rhodes Scholarship to combine his scientific research skills and his passion for public health by pursuing an M.Sc. in global health science and epidemiology and an M.Sc. in health service improvement and evaluation. 

“The Rhodes community, much like Loran’s community, is an incredible opportunity to engage with talented individuals with diverse expertise but a common desire to create positive change. At Oxford, I will grow as a global citizen—one who tackles complex world issues with humility, collaboration, and a sense of collective responsibility.”

Following his studies at Oxford, Vincent intends to return to Canada for medical training, in order to serve his communities as a physician, researcher, and advocate for equitable health care, to meet the needs of underserved populations in Canada. 

“I feel immense gratitude for everyone who has shaped me into the person I am today—family, friends, teachers, the Loran Scholars Foundation, its staff, volunteers … this achievement would not have been possible without their belief in my potential and the support they have provided along the way,” Vincent says. 

“And I want to say a special thank you to Prof. Christopher Buddle, my Loran mentor, for his thoughtful and compassionate guidance over the past few years. Chris has not only supported me in my academic journey but has also helped me grow as a well-rounded individual with passions that transcend my academic pursuits.”

Read more:

• McGill Reporter: Next stop, Oxford 
• Rhodes Trust: Eleven remarkable Canadian students awarded Rhodes Scholarships
• Vincent Wong joins a community of Loran Scholars who studied at Oxford University
• See a complete list of Loran-Rhodes Scholars here 

More than 80% of our alumni pursue graduate studies, many as tenants of major scholarships. Notably, 25 Loran Scholars have been awarded Rhodes Scholarships over the past 29 years.

Vincent Wong, 2021 Scace Loran Scholar
McGill University
2025 Rhodes Scholar (Québec)

Taron Topham, 2019 Cronin Loran Scholar
University of Saskatchewan
2024 Rhodes Scholar (Prairies)

Rayene Bouzitoun, 2018 McCall MacBain Loran Scholar
University of Ottawa
2023 Rhodes Scholar (Québec)

Nicholas Harris, 2018 Ralph M. Barford Loran Scholar
University of King’s College
2022 Rhodes Scholar (Maritimes)

Aditi Sriram, 2016 Scace Loran Scholar
University of British Columbia
2022 Rhodes Scholar (British Columbia)

Patrick Hickey, 2015 Ralph M. Barford Loran Scholar
Western University
2020 Rhodes Scholar (Newfoundland)

Clare Lyle, 2014 Belzberg Loran Scholar
McGill University
2018 Rhodes Scholar (Québec)

Iain Sander, 2013 Loran Scholar
Queen’s University
2018 Rhodes Scholar (Prairies)

Claire Gummo, 2013 Applebanks Loran Scholar
Queen’s University
2017 Rhodes Scholar (Prairies)

Sarah Burns, 2011 Ralph M. Barford Loran Scholar
Dalhousie University
2016 Rhodes Scholar (Maritimes)

Zia Saleh, 2010 W. Garfield Weston Loran Scholar
McGill University
2016 Rhodes Scholar (Alberta)

Dylan Collins, 2010 Loran Scholar
University of Victoria
2014 Rhodes Scholar (British Columbia)

Joanne Cave, 2009 W. Garfield Weston Loran Scholar
University of Toronto – Woodsworth College
2013 Rhodes Scholar (Prairies)

Sheiry Dhillon, 2008 W. Garfield Weston Loran Scholar
McMaster University
2012 Rhodes Scholar (Ontario)

Aneil Jaswal, 2007 W. Garfield Weston Loran Scholar
University of British Columbia
2011 Rhodes Scholar (British Columbia)

Kate Smolina, 2004 W. Garfield Weston Loran Scholar
University of Guelph
2008 Rhodes Scholar (Ontario)

Wojciech Gryc, 2004 W. Garfield Weston Loran Scholar
University of Toronto Scarborough
2008 Rhodes Scholar (Ontario)

Jeeshan Chowdhury, 2000 RBC Loran Scholar
University of Alberta
2006 Rhodes Scholar (Alberta)

Alexandra Conliffe, 1999 W. Garfield Weston Loran Scholar
McGill University
2004 Rhodes Scholar (Québec)

Maureen Hogan, 1998 Loran Scholar
Western University
2004 Rhodes Scholar (Newfoundland)

François Tanguay-Renaud, 1998 BMO Loran Scholar
McGill University
2002 Rhodes Scholar (Québec)

Mark Schaan, 1997 Loran Scholar
University of Waterloo
2002 Rhodes Scholar (Manitoba)

Andrea Iaboni, 1994 Loran Scholar
University of Toronto – University College
1998 Rhodes Scholar (Ontario)

Loraine Ronchi, 1993 Jostens Loran Scholar
York University
1996 Rhodes Scholar (Ontario)

Diane de Kerckhove, 1992 Loran Scholar
McGill University
1995 Rhodes Scholar (Québec)

Twenty years ago, the Loran Scholars Foundation began an enduring collaboration with BMO Capital Markets’ then-new Equity Through Education program. The partnership was built on a mutual commitment to cultivating an inclusive and equitable community, and the shared goal of supporting students to become equity-centered leaders with the capacity to navigate difficult discussions and build bridges across differences.

BMO joined Loran as our first major corporate partner in 1992, providing integral support for Loran Scholars and the Foundation’s in-depth selection process, underpinning Loran’s belief that strength of character, commitment to service, and leadership potential manifest differently in different contexts and circumstances. Since Equity Through Education launched in 2005, the program has underwritten the four-year journeys of more than 52 Loran Scholars, as well as funded 22 Loran Finalists, and 10 Loran Provincial and Territorial Award recipients. 

Zelal Kaya, a 2020 BMO Capital Markets Loran Scholar, recently graduated from the University of Ottawa with an honour’s Bachelor of social sciences in conflict studies and human rights. While still on campus, Zelal was involved with the university’s Islamic Relief Organization, organizing the annual Orphan sponsor program, a fundraising initiative that allows students to team up and raise money for youth abroad.

“The bond I have formed with my fellow Loran Scholars is unlike anything I’ve experienced before. I have made lifelong connections and friendships that continue to inspire me. This joy in my life is the direct outcome of the support of the Loran Award, and BMO’s invaluable donation.”

This funding contributes to the long-term potential of Loran Scholars, providing them with the financial freedom to study, take meaningful risks, and pursue opportunities to serve their communities. It is also an investment in our collective future— empowering generations of values-driven students and developing a diverse ecosystem of leaders dedicated to building a better future.

When Noubahar Hasnain, was named a BMO Capital Markets Loran Scholar in 2016, her goal was to find a career that aligned her skills and values, while making a meaningful impact. 

“I wanted to contribute to my community in a way that balanced professional success with social responsibility. The support from Loran and BMO helped me explore different paths to achieve this.”

Now an account executive at Common Wealth Retirement, a fintech offering digital group retirement plans, Noubahar works on expanding access to these plans, helping Canadians secure their financial futures. Outside of work, she is dedicated to helping racialized women take charge of their career progression by participating in accelerator programs and events focused on leadership development, advancing equity in the workplace.

“The financial support from Loran and BMO combined with the encouragement to step out of my comfort zone, allowed me to focus on both career and personal growth.”

Currently, BMO Capital Markets is supporting eight in-stream Loran Scholars, including two 2024 scholars who just embarked on their Loran journeys earlier this month: Mahrukh Hassan, from Saskatoon, SK, who is studying biomedical sciences, specifically cellular physiology and pharmacology at the University of Saskatchewan, and Chloe Nguyễn, from Vancouver, BC, who is studying systems design engineering at the University of Waterloo. You can read more about Chloe in the welcome to Loran Scholars published by Waterloo News here. 

Loran is proud to be one of the organizations supported by the Equity Through Education program and incredibly grateful for a 20-year partnership dedicated to equipping and empowering the young people who will lead the way to a brighter future for all of us. Thank you BMO for your generosity, your belief in our mission, and the impact this has had on students nationwide. 

About Equity Through Education:

Equity Through Education is a charitable initiative aimed at creating a more diverse workplace by offering support to help bright, deserving people get on a path to success. 

Since its inception in 2005, the BMO Equity Through Education annual program has raised almost $32M by donating one day’s worth of institutional equity and trading commissions earned across North America and Europe directly to organizations that provide access to education. This translates into assistance to close to 5,500 students through scholarships, bursaries, stipends, mentoring programs, and job search strategy forums.

This year, BMO InvestorLine is partnering with BMO Capital Markets for its 20th Anniversary, and BMO InvestorLine clients will be invited to trade with BMO on Sept. 25. Support Equity Through Education and invest in a brighter tomorrow!

As 2024 Loran Scholars make their way to campuses across the country, universities are extending a special welcome to the newest cohort. Check out the news below:

• Cinq lauréats de la bourse Loran choisissent l’Université de Montréal, Université de Montréal
• Welcoming a new cohort of community-driven student leaders, University of Waterloo
• 2024 Loran Scholar recipients include two incoming Math students, University of Waterloo
• Meet the 2024 McMaster Loran Scholars, McMaster University
• McGill’s newest Loran Scholars committed to service, McGill Reporter

While students nationwide gear up to thank their teachers with end-of-year gifts, Loran Scholars show appreciation in their own way.

Ashley Harris never predicted that nearly a decade after she taught Lydia Hardy’s Grade 7 class in Recontre East, NL, they would be standing together once again in a public school auditorium in front of students and teachers to celebrate their relationship. Harris can still see traces of the young Hardy: they still have the same welcoming smile that lights up the room, and insatiable curiosity and inquisitiveness. But now, starting a 12-week research opportunity in Boston with a well-known researcher specializing in OCD prevalence, Hardy is an adult well on their way to achieving their career aspirations. Hardy credits Harris with helping them to get to this point:

“Ashley’s constant support and belief in my abilities helped me overcome self-doubt and embrace my true identity and passions. Her dedication to creating an inclusive environment where every student felt valued laid the groundwork for me to flourish academically and personally, shaping the course of my life in ways that continue to resonate years later.”

To show their appreciation for the impact Harris had on their life, Hardy recently nominated her for a Teachers Building Leaders Award. For the past 10 years, the Teachers Building Leaders Award, presented and administered by the Loran Scholars Foundation and supported by the McCall MacBain Foundation has recognized a widely diverse group of outstanding educators from across Canada with one common denominator: their dedication to their students. Each educator imparts wisdom that shapes how the young people they teach interpret the world around them, challenging them to question how they can make that world a better place, and inspiring them to see and reach their full potential.

“To say that the award has been the highlight of my career is an understatement. The TBL is an immense honor to receive as an educator, and I was awarded it for just doing what I love to do,” says Harris. “Lydia has frequently told me since the nomination that I inspired them, but I now believe that it is Lydia who has inspired me to be the best teacher I could possibly be for all my students.”

Harris and Hardy are only one example of the incredible teacher-student relationships being celebrated this year across the country with the Teachers Building Leaders Award: From Rencontre East, NL, to Lillooet, BC, 27 teachers will receive the award for 2024. Ceremonies started in April, and while most will happen before the school year wraps up, a few will continue over the summer.

Teachers Building Leaders Award nominations are offered by graduating Loran Scholars, who are invited to show gratitude to their teachers—whether primary school, secondary school, or Cegep—who provided early inspiration, guidance, and growth opportunities and who helped shape the trajectories of their lives.

Thanks to the longstanding support of the McCall MacBain Foundation, which deeply believes in the formative role teachers play in students’ leadership development, to date, 166 Loran Scholars, spanning ten cohorts, have recognized 248 teachers from 183 schools across Canada with the award. The nominating Loran Scholar celebrates each teacher recipient at a local certificate presentation. The teacher is also presented with a congratulatory letter from John McCall MacBain.

From coast to coast, the annual Teachers Building Leaders Award reminds us that an educator’s impact extends far beyond the classroom and is carried by students throughout their lives. The gratitude reflected by these awards is immeasurable, but it can be observed through how Loran Scholars speak about their teachers and their influence on their lives.

Local media outlets across the country featured TBL celebrations. Read their coverage:

• Guelph student helps get former teacher recognition he deserves
• Lucie Fortin, conseillère d’orientation, reçoit le Prix Loran!
• Everett Horner’s Speech on Mrs. Reesor
• «J’ai fait le tour du monde grâce à mes élèves»: cette prof pionnière de la francisation à Québec prend sa retraite après plus de 25 ans à enseigner à de jeunes immigrants

Last month, we announced the Class of 2024 and communities across the country including French, English, and Punjabi media outlets have celebrated the incoming cohort.

Catch up on the news below:

• Deux jeunes activistes du Nord obtiennent une prestigieuse bourse, L’Aquilon
• Two Saskatoon students win prestigious $100K national scholarship, CTV Saskatoon
• 2 P.E.I. high school grads win prestigious Loran scholarships, CBC – Island Morning
• Maple Ridge student earns prestigious Loran Scholar Award, Barrie Today
• Local student among 2024 Loran Scholars, Winnipeg Free Press
• 3 Nova Scotians named 2024 Loran Scholars, Hot Country 103.5
• Windsor student recognized for ‘exceptional character’ and Malaysia refugee camp teaching, CBC Windsor
• Loran Scholar winner intent on helping people, CTV Windsor
• Grade 12 Kingston student selected as a 2024 Loran Scholar, Global Kingston
• Loran Scholarship awarded to two Saskatoon students, My Droll
• Windsor student awarded for exceptional character, volunteer work in refugee camp, CBC Windsor Morning
• Surrey student says $100K Loran Scholarship is ‘life-changing’, Surrey Now Leader
• Un Franco-Albertain de 16 ans remporte une bourse nationale de 100 000 $, Radio-Canada
• Moncton high school student named Loran Scholar, The Bend 91.9
• Yellowknife’s Kira Young receives 2024 Loran scholarship, NNSL
• Maple Ridge student earns prestigious Loran Scholar Award, Innisfil Today
• Six jeunes personnes exceptionnelles du Québec reçoivent une Bourse Loran, Les Cegeps
• Deux élèves du N.-B. récipiendaires de la prestigieuse bourse Loran Mettre l’écoute sur pause, Radio-Canada
• Clayton Heights Secondary student wins Loran scholarship, Surrey Now-Leader
• Two Northern Students Selected for National Scholarship, My True North Now
• Local high school student selected for Loran Scholar Award, CBC Information Radio
• Punjabi student from Winnipeg makes it to the ‘Loran Scholars List’, OMNI Television
• 12ਵੀਂ ਦੇ ਵਿਦਿਆਰਥੀ ਬਲਜੋਤ ਰਾਏ ਦੀ ਲੋਰਨ ਸਕਾਲਰ ਐਵਾਰਡ ਲਈ ਚੋਣ, Desh Pardes Times
• L’humour qui rapporte, Journal de Québec
• Une quatrième boursière Loran pour le Cégep de Lévis, Les Cegeps
• Holy Cross alumni nab major scholarships, Penticton Herald
• A 19-year-old Montrealer beats odds and becomes Loran Scholar, Global News Montréal
• Rotary Club of Penticton Sunrise names Sophie Robinson April’s Student of the Month, Castanet
• Clayton Heights, Princess Margaret students named 2024 Loran Scholars, Surrey Schools

Loran believes the key to building a brighter future is empowering values-driven youth ready to embrace the challenge of leaving the world better than they found it. To find these young people, we look beyond marks to identify 36 students with a guiding sense of purpose: those who demonstrate exceptional strength of character, a deep commitment to service, and the potential to lead with integrity.

As graduating high school and Cégep students, the pursuits and accomplishments of the newest Loran Award recipients are exemplary. Still, it is their courage to push boundaries and challenge the status quo and their dedication to uplifting their communities that distinguish them as Loran Scholars.

Within the new cohort, one scholar volunteers at a helpline and serves as a member of a Nunavut-wide youth advisory committee on climate change; another is a volunteer providing interpretation services to refugees; one is a student dispatcher for the Kitimat Fire and Ambulance Service; and another is the vice president of the operations department of Opportunity, a youth-founded organization that researches opportunities for young Canadians. These are only a few examples that give us hope that Canada will thrive if we ensure such promising students are given the opportunity to imagine, explore, and create the future.

To become a Loran Scholar, each of these students participated in an in-depth, nationwide selection process carried out by hundreds of volunteer assessors and interviewers. From writing an application to regional semi-final interviews to attending National Interviews in Toronto, the entire Loran selections process is a personal growth experience—a chance for the students to learn about themselves and connect with other optimistic young changemakers.

At Loran, our mission is to find young people who approach challenges with curiosity, perseverance, and creativity, who are humble, inquisitive, and thoughtful, and who have the capacity to collaborate to drive change. We give these exceptional students a launchpad to unlock their potential and empower them to make positive change in their communities. Loran Scholars benefit from a four-year, comprehensive leadership-enrichment program, financial support, and a network of values-driven peers and mentors—unlike anything else in this country.

In addition to the Loran Award, we also recognize and provide one-time entrance awards to 54 Loran Finalists who made it to Nationals and 70 students recognized as Loran Provincial and Territorial Award recipients at the semi-final level. Overall, we will invest more than $4 million in 160 community-engaged students across Canada this year.

Since its inception 35 years ago, the Loran Scholars Foundation has provided more than $66 million in undergraduate awards to more than 3,400 promising high school and Cégep students, including 796 Loran Scholars. Together, the program’s alumni form a diverse ecosystem of values-driven leaders who accept the challenge of building a better world across an array of sectors, such as technology, the arts, law, science, education, and finance.

Loran Scholars have gone on to hold such positions as President of Doctors of the World, Country Manager for Azerbaijan at The World Bank, Assistant Professor of Critical Studies of Race & Indigeneity at the University of Toronto, Chief of Staff of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency with the Government of Canada, and CEO of Birds Canada. 

Moreover, eight Loran Scholars have gone on to clerk for the Supreme Court and 25 have been selected as Rhodes Scholars. Though their work spans a multitude of sectors and disciplines, alumni share and continue to be guided by Loran’s core values of character, service, and leadership.

Click here to learn how other Loran alumni are driving meaningful change.

Class of 2024

Kubra Ashori
St. Michael’s Adult Catholic Secondary School
Windsor, ON

Teerka Baskaran
Bayview Secondary School
Stouffville, ON

Mishka Caldwell-Pichette
Cégep de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue
Rouyn-Noranda, QC

Émilie Charest
Cégep de Lévis
Issoudun, QC

Blake Conod
École secondaire catholique Marie-Rivier
Kingston, ON

Julien Côté
École Voyageur
Cold Lake, AB

Cianne Coutinho
Loyola Catholic Secondary School
Mississauga, ON

Hannah Daley
Citadel High School
Halifax, NS

Jakob DeGruchy
East Antigonish Education Centre/Academy
Havre Boucher, NS

Valérie GC Lalonde
École secondaire catholique de Plantagenet
St. Pascal Baylon, ON

Tristan Hall
Mount Elizabeth Middle-Secondary
Kitimat, BC

Mahrukh Hassan
Bedford Road Collegiate
Saskatoon, SK

Chloe Huang
Britannia Secondary School
Vancouver, BC

Lubna Ismail
Lord Beaverbrook High School
Calgary, AB

Shreya Jain
Maple Ridge Secondary School
Barrie, ON

Marie-Lou Latourre
Cégep Garneau
Québec, QC

Sarah Leshob
Collège André-Grasset
Montréal, QC

Sadie MacDonnell
Corner Brook Regional High School
Corner Brook, NL

Isaac MacLean
Three Oaks Senior High School
Summerside, PE

Liam McKay-Argyriou
Marion M. Graham Collegiate
Saskatoon, SK

Olivia Mendes
Sentinel Secondary School
West Vancouver, BC

Aamna Mushtaq
Princess Margaret Secondary School
Surrey, BC

Mbarouk Nassor
Cégep de Saint-Laurent
Verdun, QC

Chloe Nguyen
Sir Winston Churchill Secondary
Vancouver, BC

Baljot Rai
St. Paul’s High School
Winnipeg, MB

Paolo Ramelli
Bishop Ryan Catholic Secondary School
Hamilton, ON

Sophie Robinson
Penticton Secondary School
Penticton, BC

Ashley Sabharwal
Clayton Heights Secondary
Surrey, BC

Aidan Sampson
St. Lewis Academy
St. Lewis, NL

Mark Seemann
Charlottetown Rural High School
New Glasgow, PE

Sally Smith
École Sainte-Anne
Fredericton, NB

Anne-Èva Soucy
Cégep de Sainte-Foy
Lévis, QC

Billy Truong
Bernice MacNaughton High School
Moncton, NB

Aidan Webb
Avon View High School
Windsor, NS

Kira Young
Lester B. Pearson United World College of the Pacific
Yellowknife, NT

Katie Yu
Inuksuk High School
Iqaluit, NU

From coast to coast to coast, communities across Canada are celebrating the 2024 Loran Finalists.

Below is a selection of recent media features:

• Four Surrey students named to shortlist for prestigious $100K national scholarship (The Peace Arch News)
• Young Sudbury activist a finalist for $100K Loran program (Sudbury.com)
• Une élève de l’École Sainte-Anne, finaliste de la bourse Loran (Radio-Canada)
• Two Barrie high school students named Loran Award finalists (Barrie Today)
• Whitehorse student finalist for scholarship with leadership focus (Yukon News)
• Yellowknife Student Chosen for National Scholarship Competition (MyTrue North)
• Four high school students from this province are vying for the prestigious Loran Award. We met one of the finalists, Hannah Moores, from central Nfld. (CBC Radio)
• 2 Langley students make finalists in Canada-wide awards (Langley Times)
• Dawson Student is a Loran Scholar Finalist (Dawson College)
• Mireille Lemoine, de Sainte-Agathe, finaliste nationale de la Bourse Loran (Radio Canada Manitoba)
• Dawson Student is a Loran Scholar Finalist (Education News Canada)
• Students from H.R.M. among Loran Award finalists (Hot Country 103.5)
• Two local students named finalists for prestigious scholarship (Innisville Today)
• 4 N.L. students are in the running for prestigious $100K scholarships (CBC Newfoundland and Labrador)
• Moncton student finalist for Loran Scholars award (The Bend 91.9)
• Teenage activist from Sudbury one of 90 finalists for prestigious Loran scholarship (CTV News Northern Ontario)
• John Abbott College congratulates two outstanding students: Masha Rudak and Sienna D’Alessandro (Suburban)
• ‘Shocked’ Barrie teens stand out among stand out among scholarship applicants (Barrie Today)
• JAC Student Selected as a Finalist for the Loran Scholar (John Abbott College)
• Community Feb. 4: Mascot tagged; Indigenous scholarships; art donation (Times Colonist)
• Teenage activist from Sudbury one of 90 finalists for prestigious Loran scholarship (News Talk 1010)
• Maple Ridge student a finalist in Canada-wide awards (Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows News)
• Walnut Grove Secondary Student in running for $100K Scholarship (Education News Canada)
• Ep. 4: Looking In The Mirror (Future North Podcast)
• Ep. 5: Golden Ticket Chance to An Affordable Life (Future North Podcast)
• Saskatoon teens vying for a prestigious national scholarship (My Droll)
• St. Lewis student in running for Loran Award Scholarship (CBC Radio)
• Emerging Teen Voice in HIV advocacy named finalist for prestigious Canadian Loran Award (Associated Press)
• Penticton Rotary names February’s Student of the Month (Castanet)
• DSBN student named one of 90 Finalists for 2024 Loran Award (Thorold Today)

Out of a pool of over 5,200 applicants, the 90 young people selected as Loran Finalists for the class of 2024 have demonstrated their intrinsic drive to step up in the face of challenges and positively impact their communities. These students will be travelling from homes as widespread as Yellowknife, NT; Saint Lewis, NL; and Kitimat, BC when we welcome them at Loran’s National Interviews in Toronto on February 23-25, 2024 where they will have the chance to be named one of 36 Loran Scholars.

The Loran Scholars Foundation identifies students with character; those who believe in pushing boundaries by questioning the status quo, while showing compassion and a commitment to service—seeing a need and making positive change in their own communities. These young people view the world through a lens of curiosity, and have leadership qualities they may not even fully realize themselves. We look for qualities that grades alone cannot show: a breadth of interests, and deep commitment to service, the courage to make difficult decisions, and the determination to work towards long-term goals.

Loran’s reflective and thorough Selections process, carried out through the work of hundreds of volunteer assessors and interviewers, is designed to uncover this promise and leadership potential in students from the smallest towns to the largest cities across Canada. At a time when Canada is seeing a dramatic decline in volunteerism, the steadfast commitment of Loran’s nationwide network of volunteers is a testament to the recognized impact of the Foundation and the scholars it supports. For example, Loran Finalists are supporting their communities in a number of ways: 

• Co-creating and raising funds for an after-school soccer coaching program at a local, under-resourced elementary school
• Developing a local youth climate advocacy network after establishing an internship program focused on educating other students about Great Slave Lake
• Selling handmade jewelry as a Ramadan fundraiser and donating the earnings to build wells in the most water-scarce regions of Pakistan
• Establishing a pro-bono haircut service for students and teachers at his CEGEP with any donations given to the local mother-child hospital
• Spearheading a vaccine literacy design-athon, engaging over 200+ youth participants across five countries in a dialogue about public health

We know that such promising young people have the power to change the future for the better—they just need a launchpad and opportunities to grow. This is precisely what we offer Loran Scholars: an enrichment program of leadership development and diverse learning experiences that equip them to create positive change over the course of their lifetimes.

During National interviews, we will be seeking the 36 young people who most exceptionally demonstrate strength of character, dedication to service, and leadership potential to be named the class of 2024 Loran Scholars. Each will receive a Loran Award, which comprises financial support including an annual stipend and tuition waiver; a comprehensive leadership enrichment program including a variety of summer work experiences; membership in a community of values-driven individuals, one-on-one mentoring, and annual retreats and forums.

Finalists not selected as Loran Scholars are eligible to receive a one-time $6,000 Loran Finalist Award tenable at any Canadian university. At the conclusion of our semi-final interviews, 70 students who distinguished themselves at that level received one-time $2,000 Loran Provincial/Territorial Awards. Overall, we will be investing close to $4M in 160 students across Canada this year. 

Since its inception, the Loran Scholars Foundation has provided more than $66 million in undergraduate awards to 3,300+ promising high school and CEGEP students including 647 Loran alumni. Together they form a diverse ecosystem of purpose-driven leaders pushing boundaries across an array of fields, such as technology, the arts, law, science, education and finance. Loran Scholars have gone on to hold such positions as: Executive Director of the Canadian Federation of Francophone and Acadian Communities; CEO, Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce; Research Scientist and Engineer at the NASA Ames Research Center; President & CEO, Birds Canada; and Assistant Professor, Critical Studies of Race & Indigeneity at the University of Toronto. Moreover, 8 Loran Scholars have gone on to clerk for the Supreme Court and 25 have been selected as Rhodes Scholars. Though their work spans a multitude of sectors and disciplines, alumni share and continue to be guided by Loran’s core values of character, service, and leadership.

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Media Contact

Lisa Paul, Manager, Community Engagement & Communications
lisa.paul@loranscholar.ca

2024 Loran Finalists