Grade 12 graduate Alicia Bremer is the kind of student who only comes along once every few decades.
“During my 38-year career as a senior chemistry instructor, I have encountered a student of her academic excellence and quality of character perhaps only once before,” said Chris Toth, the department head of science at St. Thomas More Collegiate.
The STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) graduate’s “ability to quickly grasp difficult concepts, intuitively and efficiently approach problem-solving, and to think outside the box when required are as impressive as they are rare.”
That’s why St. Thomas More Collegiate was proud to congratulate Bremer for receiving a prestigious $80,000 scholarship from the Schulich Foundation. She is one of only 100 recipients across Canada.
According to STM, Bremer routinely received honours at the top of her class with “a GPA of effectively 100 per cent,” even in challenging science courses. She also performed with two school bands and competed in the school’s track and field and cross-country teams.
“Alicia has consistently distinguished herself as a young woman of unusually high intelligence possessing both a stellar work ethic and a genuine love of learning.”
The significant Schulich award has been given to 100 graduates who are enrolled in a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics undergraduate program each year since 2012.
For Bremer to achieve such academic success was no small feat in a school year plagued with a virus and constant change in restrictions on daily life, and she is not the only local Catholic grad receiving high honours this year.
Reta Younan of St. John Brebeuf Regional Secondary has been awarded a $40,000 scholarship from the Cmolik Foundation, an organization that seeks to support young people who have faced adversity and achieved excellence in their studies.
Younan, who plans to go on to study neuroscience, said she was honoured to receive the award.
“Their generosity will support my post-secondary education, not only financially, but with a community that truly cares.”
SJB principal Gianni Bittante called Younan “an excellent student and an outstanding person.”
She is among at least 15 students at the Abbotsford high school who are receiving scholarships and awards of $6,000 or more toward future studies.
Other significant awards include Thomas Lueth (receiving a $40,000 Beedies Luminaries Scholarship), Jianna Escudero (receiving a $24,000 UVIC Excellence Scholarship), and Olivia Buckle (receiving a $14,000 athletics scholarship from the University of Mary in North Dakota).
Congratulations to these graduates and the many others completing their studies with exceptional results in an unforgettable year.