Courtesy of Shawnigan Lake School
Shawnigan Lake School graduate Jiahe (Mark) Xiang has been selected to receive a $100,000 Schulich Leader Scholarship to study computer science at the University of Toronto.
Xiang will be entering the computer science program this fall. He was selected for his outstanding academic achievements. In his time at Shawnigan, he has completed the B.C. curriculum and, in parallel, taken — and received top marks in — an astounding 12 AP (Advanced Placement) credits.
“Mark is a highly innovative student with a relentless passion to solve some of the greatest problems facing the world. He is tenacious in his pursuit of knowledge and his critical thinking skills are exceptional. Beyond his incredible intellectual capacity, Mark has proven to be a great support to other students on campus. His humble approach to his own abilities makes his peer tutoring sessions highly sought after amongst his peers,” said Richard Lamont, head of Shawnigan Lake School.
This year, the value of the scholarship has increased to address the increased cost of living across Canada. A total of 100 scholarships are being awarded — 50 engineering scholarships valued at $120,000 each and 50 science, technology or math scholarships valued at $100,000 each.
“This group of outstanding students will represent the best and brightest Canada has to offer and will make great contributions to society, both on a national and global scale. With their university expenses covered, they can focus their time on their studies, research projects, extracurriculars, and entrepreneurial ventures. They are the next generation of entrepreneurial-minded, technology innovators,” said program founder Seymour Schulich.
School officials noted Xiang’s wide diversity of interests.
“Mark has many academic passions including mathematics, science, and history. It is clear he is brilliant in all of these realms of education,” says Jarrett Wilke, one of Xiang’s teachers and the head of mathematics at Shawnigan Lake School.
“Mark is a stand-out student who I firmly believe has that special ingredient to realize his ambitious dreams for the future. It may be cliché, but he will be a change-maker in the world of Artificial Intelligence, no doubt about it,” said Hannah Gottfried, director of university guidance at Shawnigan Lake School.
Xiang’s goal is to start his own business in AI-related areas, such as developing automated management systems and unmanned vehicles.
His family immigrated to Canada and he will be the first person in his family to earn a four-year college degree.