Nathan, a Virtual Learning student from Bowmanville, Ontario, was selected as the recipient of a $100,000 Schulich Leadership Scholarship. This is one of Schulich’s top awards, and there is only one winner every year. Overall, 37 students across the country were selected as Schulich Leaders.

Nathan was homeschooled in his elementary school years. He then took courses for four years through TLDSB’s Virtual Learning Centre (VLC) like English, chemistry, math, law, and history. He is now looking forward to studying Geomatics at the School of Engineering at York University in Toronto.

Nathan says that the VLC helped him to learn how to communicate professionally through emails. He says that being homeschooled, students are not quite as exposed to technology and the VLC really helped to jumpstart that.

“The VLC helped expose me to leadership opportunities,” says Nathan. “Their Leadership and Peer Support course helped me to understand leadership and gain practice leading in a classroom, where I didn’t have that opportunity before.”

Nathan became interest in Geomatics after a family friend, who is a land surveyor, suggested this path got him a job working for a local land-surveying firm. Nathan started volunteering two days a week in 2016 and working over the summer.

Nathan is looking forward to expanding his learning at York University, and says the financing support will really help him. His advice to other students is to keep enjoying learning, get involved in your community, and if you’re interested in pursuing something, get right in there and do it. He says it’s easy to get caught up in high school, so look ahead and keep your eyes set on your goal.