A Barrie teenager can now add Loran Scholar to her resume.
Maple Ridge Secondary School's Shreya Jain is one of the 36 Canadian high school students named as a recipient for the prestigious 2024 Loran Scholars Award..
The award, which is redeemable at 25 partner universities, is valued at more than $100,000 over four years. It also provides recipients with a variety of important opportunities, including mentorship, funding for summer work experiences and participation in an extensive network of past and present scholars.
Loran Scholars benefit from a four-year, comprehensive leadership-enrichment program, financial support, as well as a network of values-driven peers and mentors.
The Loran Scholars Foundation was created in 1988 by a group of volunteers who recognized that “academic performance is not the only indicator of future value to the community” and set out to find and support young Canadians who demonstrate character, service and leadership potential.
Jain, 17, co-founded and currently leads the debate team at her south-end high school. She also works part-time at her local library branch and is involved in game-theory and economics research, where she models a variety of different things using computer simulations using what she called “agent-based models.”
The Grade 12 student said in February that she has her sights set on several options as she looks forward to her post-secondary education and had applied to several math programs.
Ken Wesley, teacher advisor for the school’s debate team, commended Jain for her leadership skills, saying last month that her commitment to her academic success, to school culture, and to the greater community is “exceedingly rare in someone her age.”
"There is no doubt in my mind that Shreya will continue to make a significant impact in her community, and well beyond, well into the future,” he noted at the time.
To become a Loran Scholar, each student 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 selection process is a personal growth experience — a chance for students to learn about themselves and connect with other optimistic young changemakers.
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, noting in order to find these young people, they look beyond marks to identify students who possess a “guiding sense of purpose” and who demonstrate exceptional strength of character, a deep commitment to service, and the potential to lead with integrity.
As graduating high school and CEGEP (Quebec) students, the pursuits and accomplishments of the newest 36 Loran Award recipients, coming from more than 30 unique communities across the country, are exemplary, stated a press release from foundation officials, adding 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.
The foundation’s 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.”
