A Catholic high school in Windsor has produced not one or two, but three students as winners of a prestigious scholarship.
Only ten Horatio Alger Scholarships are awarded each year across Canada, and three have been awarded to students from Assumption College Catholic High School. Kini Chen, Maya Mikhael, and Shahnda Shaker are the winners.
Chen, who has already won an elite Schulich Scholarship, collected a $10,000 award. Mikhael and Shaker will each receive $5,000.
"It’s not unprecedented, but it’s extremely rare for three students from the same school to earn one of these scholarships in the same year," said Horatio Alger Association of Canada Vice-President Jordan-Nicholas Matte. "You should be very proud of these students and of your school for achieving such an honour."
Chen has been accepted to McGill University, where she will study mathematics and physiology. Mikhael will head to the University of Windsor to pursue the behavioural cognition and neuroscience program, and Shaker will go to the University of Ottawa to major in political science. All three young women are part of the high school's International Baccalaureate program.
"The fact that we had three students earn these scholarships speaks volumes about the quality of instruction here," said Assumption High Principal Melissa Cavallin. "We have a very dedicated teaching staff who are extremely passionate about supporting our students. But it also speaks volumes about the quality of these students who I’m certain will go on to do wonderful things with their lives."
The Horatio Alger Association of Canada, according to its official website, "honours the achievements of Canadians who have succeeded in spite of adversity and who encourage young people to pursue their dreams through higher education." The association is named after the American author.
