OUR STORY
We believe that the promise of a young person is to be found in character. To find Canada’s next generation of leaders, we must look beyond grades and rankings to find the promise of character.
At the Loran Scholars Foundation, we identify and support young people who have the integrity and courage to make difficult decisions, the perseverance to work towards long-term goals, the curiosity to better understand the world around them and the drive to make positive change in their communities.
Every year, our volunteers dedicate over 7,000 hours to selecting up to 36 Loran Scholars from over 5,000 applicants. Our scholars come from all walks of life and every corner of Canada, from Hazelton, BC to Montréal to Fogo Island, NL.
In partnership with 25 Canadian universities and our donors, we challenge our scholars to explore, develop and share their talents. Each Loran Award is valued at up to $100,000 over four years of undergraduate study, including mentorship and summer experiences.
By making long-term investments in the future of Loran Scholars, we’re investing in the future of Canada. See the impact our alumni are making on Canada and the world.
We are an independent charitable organization governed by a board of directors, working in partnership with universities, donors and volunteers. In 2017, the Financial Post once again named us a Top Canadian Charity based on evidence of good governance, financial transparency and clear evidence of impact.
LORAN, short for Long-Range Aid to Navigation, is a system that uses three points (for us, our values of character, service and leadership) to determine one’s course for a long journey. The name emphasizes the lifelong impact and values of being a Loran Scholar.
History
Founded in 1988, the Loran Scholars Foundation was the first national organization in Canada to grant undergraduate awards based on a mix of academic achievement, extracurricular activity and leadership potential.
Our founders responded to what they recognized as a gap in the Canadian system of merit-based financial assistance to university students. Such assistance tended to be directed to two groups － those with exceptionally high academic averages, via university scholarship programs, and those with exceptional abilities as athletes, via national teams programs. Only a small proportion of overall financial aid was directed at those who show promise of the leadership and other talents that will make their communities better places both during and after their university careers.
In the words of our founder Dr. Robert Cluett, at the heart of our work is the belief that “breadth, openness to challenge, and willingness to take risk are many times more important than any quantitative measure of promise.” It is a belief that we still hold quite strongly today.
Before 2007, Loran Awards were known as Canadian Merit Scholarship Foundation National Awards. We changed the name to emphasize the long-term impact of our work and the three pillars of character, service and leadership.
Board of Directors
Our board of directors meets quarterly and has three standing committees: executive, audit and investment.
R. Jamie Anderson (Chair)
Senior Advisor, RBC Capital Markets
Catherine Graham (Vice Chair)
Co-Founder & CEO of commonsku
Nancy Young (Past Chair)
CEO & Owner, Elizabeth Bradley Design
Brandon Nussey (Treasurer)
Chief Financial Officer, Lightspeed HQ
Mark Angelo (Loran Scholar ’99)
CEO, LMC Healthcare
Jonathan Burke
President & CEO, Montigo / Canadian Heating Products
Marc de La Bruyère
Managing Director, Maclab Development Group
Adrienne DiPaolo
Partner, Torys LLP
Claude Généreux
Executive Vice-President, Power Corporation of Canada
Jonathan Goodman
Vice Chair & Global Managing Partner, Monitor Deloitte
Kelsey Gunderson
Head of Capital Markets, Laurentian Bank
Mike Johnston
President & CEO, REDspace
Alex Mazer (BMO Loran Scholar ’97)
Founding Partner, Common Wealth
Filip Papich
Managing Director & Co-Head of BMO Capital Markets Québec, BMO Capital Markets
Susan Scace
President, The Henry White Kinnear Foundation
Doug Winslow
Vice-President, Portfolio Manager Burgundy Asset Management
Bruce M. Wright
Retired Managing Partner, MLT Aikins LLP
Ex Officio:
Meghan Moore (W. Garfield Weston Loran Scholar ’98)
Chief Executive Officer, Loran Scholars Foundation
Vali Bennett (Secretary)
Director of Administration, Avana Capital Corporation
Honorary Council
James Appleyard
Founder & President, Freycinet Investments
Alan Broadbent, C.M.
Chairman & CEO, Avana Capital Corporation
Robert Cluett
Founder, Loran Scholars Foundation
David Crombie, P.C., O.C.
Former Mayor of Toronto and CEO, Canadian Urban Institute
Kim Echlin
Author
David Friesen
Chair, Friesens Corporation
J. Douglas Grant
Founder, Sceptre Investment Counsel
Rod MacLennan, C.M.
Owner, Tribune Holdings Ltd.
John H. Phillips
CEO, Klister Credit Corp.
Wendy Rebanks
Director, The W. Garfield Weston Foundation
Susan Scace
President, The Henry White Kinnear Foundation
Past Council:
Purdy Crawford (1931-2014)
Counsel, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Grant L. Reuber, O.C. (1927-2018)
Former Chairman, Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation
Annual Reports & Publications
Annual reports and audited financial statements
- 2019: annual report & audited financial statements
- 2018: annual report & audited financial statements
- 2017: annual report & audited financial statements
- 2016: annual report & audited financial statements
- 2015: annual report & audited financial statements
- 2014: annual report & audited financial statements
- 2013: annual report & audited financial statements
- 2012: annual report & audited financial statements
Other publications
- 25th Anniversary Prospectus
- 20th Anniversary Prospectus
- Gucciardi, Franca (2004) “Recognizing Excellence? Canada’s Merit Scholarships“
Staff
Our small staff works with a national network of volunteers, donors and university partners to discover and support Loran Scholars.
Meghan Moore (W. Garfield Weston Loran Scholar ’98)
Chief Executive Officer
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Meghan possesses over a decade of strategic management experience in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors. Her undergraduate studies focused on music cognition and she received a bachelor of science and a bachelor of music education from the University of Toronto. She later went on to earn an MBA from the Schulich School of Business at York University. Most recently she was the VP of Business Development at the Royal Conservatory of Music.
Heather Spratt
Vice-President, External Relations
heather.spratt@loranscholar.ca
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Heather co-founded Loran’s Newfoundland selection committee in 1992 and later volunteered in Ottawa. Prior to her current role, she served as Loran’s Director of Programs for more than ten years. Heather has also worked as a guidance counsellor in Ottawa and special education teacher in New York City. She has a BA and BEd from Memorial University as well as an MEd from the University of Sydney as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar.
Lily Manea
Director of Operations
lily.manea@loranscholar.ca
416.646.2120 x223
With a passion for collective impact and systems change, Lily brings to Loran almost 20 years’ experience in communications and operations in the non-profit sector. Lily previously held leadership positions at the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council and the Income Security Advocacy Centre. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Commerce from McMaster University and a post-graduate certificate in public relations from Humber College.
Carolyn Bailey
Director of Programs
carolyn.bailey@loranscholar.ca
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Carolyn brings to Loran more than 10 years of experience in the educational and non-profit sectors, both in Canada and in the United States. She is passionate about issues of community development, civic engagement, food security, environmental education, and youth leadership development. She holds an HBA in history from McGill University.
Joanne Banh (McCall MacBain Loran Scholar ’15)
Alumni Relations & Development Officer
joanne.banh@loranscholar.ca
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Joanne earned an HBA in Diaspora and Transnational Studies with a minor in Environmental Geography from the University of Toronto, and a joint minor in Asian Geography from the National University of Singapore. She is passionate about arts and culture in diasporic communities, having been involved in youth communities across the Southeast Asian diaspora. She hopes to share the stories of minority communities that support community-building, social impact, youth empowerment, and leadership initiatives.
Daniel Brown (Young Fund Loran Scholar ’15)
Cluett Fellow
daniel.brown@loranscholar.ca
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Daniel grew up in Peterborough, ON, and earned a BSc in Kinesiology from Western University. At Western he was a peer mentor working to empower first-year students as well as other mentors. He is passionate about helping others to maximize their potential. Outside of work Daniel enjoys playing guitar and coaching sports.
Katii Capern
Marketing & Communications Officer
katii.capern@loranscholar.ca
416.646.2120 x233
Hailing from the East Coast, Katii earned a BA in Creative Industries from Ryerson University, with specializations in media and journalism and a minor in business. A writer and editor with experience in community-building initiatives, she is enthusiastic about youth leadership and the connections between storytelling and social good. Katii previously worked in communications at Planet in Focus Environmental Film Festival.
Erica Commons (Loran Scholar ’09)
Manager, Alumni Relations & Development
erica.commons@loranscholar.ca
Erica is a proud Loran Scholar alumnus originally from Niagara, Ontario. She brings to Loran experience in higher ed as a student affairs and career advising professional. Erica is a graduate of the First Nations and Indigenous Studies program at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Outside of work, she enjoys modern quilting and spending time with her dogs.
Loretta Chang
Scholar Advisor
loretta.chang@loranscholar.ca
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With 10+ years experience in the arts, social services, and higher education, including rewarding roles with St. Stephen’s Community House, Pathways to Education, and Humber College, Loretta is committed to engaging future leaders as they explore ways to effect positive individual- and system-level change. Topics she finds compelling include: equitable access to post-secondary education, building more inclusive communities, and getting a little comfortable with discomfort. Loretta holds a BA in Film Studies and a Diploma in Career & Work Counselling, and keeps a stack of cookbooks on her nightstand.
Kelsey Hogan (Temerty Loran Scholar ’13)
Senior Program & Alumni Officer
kelsey.hogan@loranscholar.ca
416.646.2120 x229
Originally from Steady Brook, NL, Kelsey earned a B.Phil in Interdisciplinary Leadership and Psychology from Renaissance College at the University of New Brunswick. She most recently worked as the Engagement Organizer with the Nature Trust of New Brunswick. As an ultramarathon runner and community energizer, she encourages others to reach beyond their perceived personal limits in order to achieve their full potential.
Bella Ingabire
Bilingual Program Officer
bella.ingabire@loranscholar.ca
416.646.2120 x225
Bella is passionate about languages and social justice. She has worked with young people in the care system and has been a passionate activist about issues such as immigration and accessible education. Bella has a BA in Employment Relations, Equity Studies, and Spanish. In her free time, she loves to learn new dance moves, read a history book, or better her Spanish.
Danielle Sanders
Marketing & Communications Officer
danielle.sanders@loranscholar.ca
416.646.2120 x227
A graduate of York University’s Communication Studies program, Danielle brings a number of marketing skills that she has used to advance educational initiatives in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. Valuing society’s newfound connectedness in the digital age, Danielle’s passion for communications and content creation can be witnessed when you catch her dropping books across the Toronto transit as part of her grassroots book sharing initiative, Books on the Transit.
Emily Scheer
Manager, Program Operations
emily.scheer@loranscholar.ca
416.646.2120 x230
Emily has spent 10+ years working in the field of youth engagement, from the front lines to senior management. Driven by a commitment to creating safe and supportive spaces for creativity and community to flourish, Emily is relentlessly passionate about supporting youth leadership, global citizenry and the intersections between art and education. Emily holds an Honours BA in Psychology from the University of Guelph.
Adam Shamoon
Manager, Development
adam.shamoon@loranscholar.ca
416.646.2120 x221
Adam joins Loran with 15 years of experience in the Canadian and American non-profit sectors. Working at the cross-section of arts education and equity, Adam most recently served as the inaugural director of the DOC Institute, a professional development hub for documentary filmmakers in Canada. There is nothing he likes more than collaborating with others to amplify impact. Adam is a graduate of McGill University, where he completed his Anthropology degree with distinction.
Kylie Serebrin (On Parental Leave)
Manager, Marketing Communications
Kylie earned a BA in English Literature and Communication and an MA in Art History from Western University. She brings to Loran many years of experience in marketing and strategic communications across publishing, agency and start-up environments. A modern art, film and music enthusiast, Kylie is passionate about the arts as media for intercultural dialogue and global community-building.