When Shen Zhou moved to Canada from China just five years ago, he was unable to speak or read English, requiring a translator to communicate with his classmates. Determined to succeed and honour his parents' memory, he spent 10 hours a day practising English that first year. Now, he's graduating at the top of his class.
Zhou's passion for computers was ignited when he was a boy growing up in a small town in China.
"From a young age, I was fascinated by technology and how it transformed my way of living," he says. "I still remember the first time I saw a smartphone and how the voice assistant answered my childish questions, how it solved the math problem I had been stuck on for hours. These early experiences inspired me to study computers."
After teaching himself to code in Python, which he selected because it was the primary language for AI development, he created a game using machine learning — and he was hooked. "I took my first steps towards my dream: using the power of computers to make a difference in the world."
Zhou will study computing science with a focus on artificial intelligence — a field that drew him to the U of A because of its AI expertise. He is one of six U of A students to receive the Schulich Leader Scholarship, an annual award of up to $120,000 supporting entrepreneurial students pursuing undergraduate science, technology, engineering or mathematics degrees at 20 top Canadian universities.
One day, he hopes to establish a company developing apps that can save the lives of those who face illnesses like the ones that claimed his late parents.
"I realized that there is nothing I cannot do if I try hard enough. Nothing is impossible."
Gabe Thacker
Gabe Thacker's grandmother has been the resident power engineer on his family's specialty farm for half a century, and he hopes to step into the role soon. The farm grows mint, dill and catnip, which are distilled for essential oils.
"This distillation process requires considerable energy during the harvest — enough energy, in fact, to necessitate a power engineer," says Thacker.
He earned his fourth class power engineering certificate in Grade 10, a feat requiring several college-level courses and a 400-hour practicum. As Thacker prepares to enter university to study chemical engineering, he's already working on his third class certificate.
"From both studying and working in engineering, I found a field unlike any other, combining empirical pursuits with accompanying creativity, that I found both enjoyable and fulfilling."
Thacker, who grew up in Bow Island, Alta., also spent nine years as a member of his school's student council, taking on various roles to learn and grow as a leader, and served as co-captain of the school's volleyball team.
"The world of windswept villages and small towns has shaped who I am today," says Thacker. "Whilst those who live in the big city have opportunities for advanced internships and specialized school clubs, I found opportunities of my own."
Charlise Bruchet
From battling a chronic health condition to competing in engineering competitions, there's no challenge Charlise Bruchet can't tackle.
The native of Chestermere, Alta., grew up surrounded by engineering professionals and developed an interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) when she was six years old. As a teen, she began participating in Technovation Girls, an engineering competition that tasks teams with creating an app and business plan to address a global issue, eventually becoming an ambassador for the program.
"I want to be part of driving transformative advancements in STEM disciplines."
However, her passion isn't limited to just one area. At 12, Bruchet started her own small business teaching piano and violin, a way she felt she could share her love of music while also honing her business acumen. She is also a nationally competitive sailor who has coached others in the sport, developing her leadership skills while helping others flourish.
Even getting long COVID and becoming so ill she had difficulty walking at one point didn't slow her down: "It built resilience and showed me how small steps lead to larger success."
Bruchet, who also earned the Dean's Entrance Citation in Engineering, will study mechanical and electrical engineering, and already has plans to join UA-WiSE and the Engineering Students' Society's Renewable Energy Design team.
"I hope to start my own business with an innovative team that includes female leadership," says Bruchet. "I will actively advocate for women in STEM and develop technologies to secure a sustainable planet."
Oliver Chen
Oliver Chen realized from an early age that he wanted to work with technology in some capacity.
"Since elementary school, I recognized technology's potential to create positive impacts on individual lives," says Chen. "I admired the simplicity with which engineering could bring automation to mundane and repetitive tasks and revolutionize the ways we live."
Initially, Chen was drawn to software development because of the low barrier to entry — he found tutorials and open-source projects online that allowed him to sharpen his abilities, and he eagerly showed his parents the mini-apps he created. His tech savvy and leadership skills led him to captain a CyberPatriot team that placed first in Canada two years in a row, beating 500 other teams in the competition, as well as two teams that won gold at natHACKS, a national neurotechnology hackathon.
Chen, the founder and president of YEGYouth.Tech, also believes in fostering inclusion and a sense of community through technology. In high school, he created ValeNLP, a project that sought to lessen feelings of exclusion on Valentine's Day by using AI to create personalized cards for every student at his school, as well as Course Companion, a timetable comparison app to help students manage their schedules.
"Where others see technology as a set of tools and algorithms, I see it as an opportunity to sculpt the future with innovation that serves humanity," says Chen, who will be studying computer engineering, software engineering and computer science.
Jenny Lee
At the age of 10, Jenny Lee began teaching herself to code. By 11, she had already set up her own business writing and selling code, eventually joining forces with two collaborators and amassing a roster of 20 clients. Now, she's beginning her degree in computing science.
"I invested countless hours into learning and perfecting my skills, immersing myself in online tutorials, dissecting others' snippets of code and going through a ton of trial and error," she says. "As my proficiency rocketed, so did my ambition."
Lee is just as eager to share her love of science as she is to add more coding languages to her repertoire. Before making the move to Edmonton for university, she volunteered at her local library in Fort Qu'Appelle, Sask., where she co-ordinated and oversaw an initiative in collaboration with the Saskatchewan Science Centre to create science-based activities for kids.
"My aim has been to bridge the gap in the technological divide and ignite a scientific curiosity among the youth."
Lee plans to minor in geophysics as an undergraduate before pursuing a master's degree in earth sciences, and has her sights set on fusing the digital and physical worlds by integrating AI into the field of geoscience.
"Through the application of AI, I wish to drive meaningful change into the world."
Selena Pang
Selena Pang was introduced to rhythmic gymnastics at just four years old, and it quickly became a huge part of her life. She earned a spot on both the junior and senior national high-performance rhythmic gymnastics teams, training upwards of 20 hours a week and earning the Ottawa Sports Award in 2023. Eventually, Pang began coaching others in the sport as well.
The artistically minded Ottawa native, who also studied piano at a high level, took notice of the impact technological advancements could have on issues she cared about and applied the same drive and dedication to mastering computer science as she did rhythmic gymnastics. She taught herself C++, JavaScript, HTML and CSS and took part in math, coding and cybersecurity-focused competitions to build her skill set.
"I firmly believe that technology shapes our present and future society."
Pang, who will study computing science at the U of A, is already impressed by the calibre of expertise on campus in the area — and as an added bonus, the sky-high ceilings of the Butterdome building will allow her to master certain rhythmic gymnastics moves she was unable to perform in her training venue back home due to space limitations.
She has already begun combining her varied interests, running an Instagram account and YouTube channel that highlight rhythmic gymnastics — and aiming to use the science of computing to make an impact in the world of sports.
"As an athlete, I recognize the long-standing issue of subjective judging within sports," says Pang. "I hope to use the skills learnt from my computer science degree to bring technological advancements to sports, promoting fairness, transparency and an equitable environment."
