A recent graduate at Almaguin Highlands Secondary School is celebrating a $120,000 Schulich Leader Scholarship for engineering.
Officials say it’s one of Canada’s most prestigious and sought-after STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) scholarships and has been awarded to Keith Rubin for exceptional academic performance, leadership and peer mentorship.
“Keith has consistently demonstrated exemplary citizenship and leadership throughout his time at our school,” says Heather Hickey, AHSS principal. “He took initiative by leading a school-wide project focused on peer mentorship and academic support. Notably, Keith volunteered his time after school to tutor junior students in mathematics, providing them with academic guidance and encouragement.”
Rubin says given the high cost of post-secondary education, especially engineering, the scholarship is life changing.
“Before knowing that I received this scholarship, money was a concern for me, specifically the cost of tuition and residence,” he says. “However, this scholarship has made it so money is no longer a worry for post-secondary, and I can now solely focus on my future education.”
The Near North Board says Rubin is the first Almaguin student to receive the award.
“Every single teacher has supported me over my high school journey; many members of the Almaguin faculty have made me into the person I am today,” he says. “I need to give special thanks to Mr. Perry, my civics and careers teacher, who first informed me of the Schulich Leader Scholarship and kept reminding me to apply from Grades 10 to 12. Then, Mr. Beverly, who not only taught me Grade 11 and 12 chemistry and physics but also inspired me and sparked my curiosity in the STEM fields. Lastly, Mrs. Bell brought out my leadership qualities through the student ambassador and peer tutoring courses.”
Rubin will study engineering at the University of Western Ontario in the fall. He says his dream career would be one where he could return to the Almaguin area and help bring low-cost, reliable services and infrastructure to ‘our beautiful region’.
