Naomi Georges, a Grade 12 student at Cardinal Carter Catholic Secondary School in Leamington, has been awarded a $100,000 Schulich Leader Scholarship, becoming the first student from her school to receive this prestigious national award.
A Surprising Announcement in Chemistry Class
Georges learned of the honour while sitting in chemistry class. An email arrived notifying her that she was among 100 Canadian high school students selected for the scholarship. “I don’t think it clicked for me at first, it was really surprising,” Georges said. “It was a surreal experience when I realized how big a deal it was.”
The Schulich Leader Scholarship provides $100,000 to high school graduates enrolling in a science, technology, or mathematics undergraduate program. It is one of Canada’s most generous entrance scholarships for STEM fields.
First Schulich Scholar at Cardinal Carter
Georges is the first Schulich Scholar to graduate from Cardinal Carter Catholic Secondary School. She expressed gratitude for the support from teachers, friends, and family, and said it is an honour to represent the school. Her guidance counsellor, Jeff Tellier, nominated her for the award. “I’m confident she has inspired many students with her outstanding academic and extracurricular achievements,” Tellier said in a news release. “Being one of the recipients of the prestigious Schulich Leader Scholarship can only add to that inspiration.”
Academic Excellence and Extracurricular Involvement
Throughout high school, Georges maintained top grades while balancing science, mathematics, and French immersion classes in the International Baccalaureate program. She also served as a Grade 12 representative on student council. Outside the classroom, Georges plays for the Windsor Wildcats fastpitch softball team and enjoys basketball, volleyball, and badminton.
Heading to McMaster University
Georges has long been interested in science and will enroll in McMaster University’s Honours Integrated Science program this fall. “I think that the field of STEM is so relevant in the world and there’s so many things you can do with a STEM degree,” she said. “I’m really happy that I found the integrated science program, because it lets me do a bit of everything and then decide from there what I like best.” She looks forward to university life and engaging in research opportunities during her first year of undergraduate studies.
