Connor Anear, 2012 Loran scholar

Evan Hardy Collegiate, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Connor has served as co-captain of his school’s soccer team for two years; he also plays on the volleyball and basketball teams. A jazz musician, he plays trumpet and drums in several bands. He serves on the student representative council and has presented anti-racism workshops to students in grades 6-8. He has worked part-time at a local grocery store for several years.

Sarah Arsenault, 2012 BMO Capital Markets Loran scholarÉcole Pierre Chiasson, St. Louis, PEI

Sarah started a newspaper at her school and became its first editor. She volunteers for the Miminegash volunteer fire department and was a page in the Prince Edward Island Legislative Assembly. Sarah also promotes the history of the Acadian community in Prince Edward Island through a local theatre project. She is the youngest person to be hired as a bilingual tutor by the PEI Literacy Alliance.

Karl Chastko, 2012 Marilyn & Walter Booth Loran scholarShoal Lake School, Shoal Lake, Manitoba

When Karl learned that his 4H club would have to disband due to dwindling numbers, he was concerned about impact that this would have on the future of farming in his commu-nity, and so reached out to families to attract new members. Karl serves as president of his student council and he initiated and led a blood drive in his community. He is also captain of his football and curling teams, and plays basketball, soccer, badminton and saxophone.

Maurane Cloutier, 2012 BMO Capital Markets Loran scholar

Cégep François Xavier-Garneau, Québec City, QC

Maurane is co-president of the community outreach committee at her college, which raises funds for a variety of organizations. She has also helped to raise money for the Gilles Kègle Foundation. Maurane organized a debate at her college during the most re-cent federal election and she has participated in model Parliament and model UN simula-tions. She also works part-time for a member of Quebec’s national assembly.

Tristan Emiry, 2012 Applebanks Loran scholarEspanola High School, Massey, Ontario

As the Spread the Net Challenge campaign manager at his school, Tristan was at the heart of a successful effort to become the top fundraising high school in Canada last year. He serves as prime minister of the student parliament and is a leader in his local 4-H Club. He is an active basketball, cross country and track athlete, and an accomplished pianist.

Biographies of 2012 Loran scholars

Lynden Evers, 2012 Ralph M. Barford Loran scholarÉcole secondaire Franco-Jeunesse, Sarnia, Ontario

Lynden is the owner of several small businesses, including a vehicle display advertising company, Pro Motion Ads. He plays in French bands at school and in the broader com-munity and can be found on the water kite boarding, wake boarding and water skiing. He has helped to organize fundraisers for the Brain Injury Association, the local Alzheimer's Society and the annual school concert in support of cystic fibrosis. He is the youngest person ever admitted to the Sarnia-Lambton Chamber of Commerce.

Chanel Fournier, 2012 Loran scholar

Collège Catholique Samuel-Genest, Ottawa, Ontario

Chanel has served on her student council since grade nine and has been prime minister for the past two years. An active athlete, she was a member of the swim team and cur-rently plays on the water polo team. She represents her region on the Fédération de la jeunesse franco-ontarienne, was an ambassador for the Franco-Ontarian Games and serves as president of the Franco-Ontarian student trustee association. She worked last summer as an instructor and excursion guide at a camp.

Maryellen Gibson, 2012 Rebanks Loran scholarLacombe Composite High School, Tees, Alberta

As a shepherd and junior 4-H leader, Maryellen understands the important role that youth play in rural communities. She helps to foster girls' development by volunteering with Girl Guides, leads her school's student body, and gives a voice to the issues faced by rural Albertan students as a member of the Minister's Student Advisory Council with Speak Out! Alberta. She tends a flock of roughly 100 lambs, a business she has been involved in since she was nine years old.

Simon Harmgardt, 2012 Young Fund Loran scholarT.A. Blakelock High School, Oakville, Ontario

Simon has been collecting, repairing and distributing bicycles to those who need them for the past three years. He is captain of the school volleyball team and plays tennis and badminton. Since 2007, he has performed his juggling act more than 100 times for vari-ous businesses, charities and non-profits. He is president of his school's Interact club and co-president of a group of teens that present talent shows to seniors.

Kaleem Hawa, 2012 Loran scholarUpper Canada College, Toronto, Ontario

Kaleem is president of the debate society, a tutor leader with Horizons for Youth, and senior editor of the school’s newspaper. He served as leader of the Liberal Party in On-tario’s Model Parliament and as chairman of UCC's annual world affairs conference. He received the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award this year and is an alumnus of the Shad Val-ley program.

Biographies of 2012 Loran scholars

Emily Hilton, 2012 Loran scholarSa-Hali Secondary School, Kamloops, British Columbia

Emily founded the handball team and is captain of the soccer team. For the past two years, she has been educating her community about sex trafficking and human slavery and raising funds to help victims of these crimes. As a recent immigrant, she also sup-ports other newcomers who are integrating into the community. Emily participated in the International Summer School for Young Physicists at the Perimeter Institute and has also worked as an instructor at a youth science camp.

Emily Hodgson, 2012 Loran scholarCollége Gérald-Godin, Hudson Heights, Québec

Emily is deeply involved with the Air Cadets: she is a cadet wing commander, a regional ambassador, as well as a senior passenger pilot. She earned her pilot wings at 16. Emily also volunteers at the Lakeshore General Hospital oncology clinic and has obtained the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award. She plays soccer at the intercollegiate level and enjoys artistic pursuits such as painting and drawing.

Sanasi Jayawardena, 2012 BMO Capital Markets Loran scholarBluevale Collegiate Institute, Waterloo, Ontario

For more than two years, Sanasi has volunteered as a swimming instructor for children with special needs through the City of Kitchener's Adapted Aquatics program. She is co-leader of her school's Torch club, through which she organized a letter writing campaign from students to soldiers and veterans focused on Remembrance Day, and is co-chairing her school's Relay for Life fundraiser. She plays piano, has earned her bronze cross in lifesaving and worked as a junior leader at Engineering Science Quest.

Alana Lapworth, 2012 Loran scholarChurchill Community High School, La Ronge, Saskatchewan

Alana has been a junior firefighter with the La Ronge volunteer fire department since she was sixteen years old. When she realized that there was a need in her community for respite volunteers to care for medically fragile special needs children, she got the training she needed to take on the role, and now helps to train other volunteers. She is also editor of her school's yearbook, a member of the student representative council, and a member of her school's cheerleading, track and field and volleyball teams.

Turner McKay, 2012 WestJet Loran scholarCounty Central School, Vulcan, Alberta

Turner McKay is co-owner of Touchstone Curbing, a business that he has successfully run for the past two summers. He is an active member of the student council at his school, serves as a mentor to elementary students, and plays guitar in a rock band. Turner is also captain of his hockey and rugby teams.

Biographies of 2012 Loran scholars

Kate Morrison, 2012 Temerty Loran scholarEvan Hardy Collegiate, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Kate is a dedicated ballerina and a volunteer with the Saskatchewan Abilities Council and her local seniors community centre. She is president of her student representative coun-cil, and previously served on her school's charity committee. Last year, Kate produced a video that won first place in the MADD Canada Multi Media Contest.

Alexa Mouawad, 2012 Loran scholarÉcole Sécondaire L'Essor, Kingsville, Ontario

Alexa founded a health club that includes yoga courses, breakfasts and lunches for stu-dents. She is also a founding member of a youth troop for the Canadian Cancer Society in Essex County. Alexa serves on the board of la Fédération de la jeunesse franco-ontarienne, is an ambassador for Kids Help Phone and volunteers with the South Essex Community Council. She also works at her family’s store.

Camille Pelletier Vernooy, 2012 Lallemand Loran scholarCégep de l'Outaouais, Gatineau, Quebec

As a high school student, Camille piloted a system for composting on a grand scale within secondary schools in the Outaouais region. She is active in her college’s Amnesty International club, through which she has raised funds for relief efforts in response to flooding in Pakistan. For four years, she was a member of her local Oxfam-Québec club. She has also worked part-time as a lifeguard for the City of Gatineau.

Aanchal Ralhan, 2012 Loran scholarGonzaga Regional High School, St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador

Aanchal is the president of her school’s Rotary Interact Club and a coxswain on her pro-vincial junior rowing team. She is a Shad Valley alumna, an active dancer in local Friends of India Association events and a teaching assistant at a St. John’s ballet academy. Aan-chal is also a member of her school’s concert band and an alumna of the Students on Ice program.

Nicole Raymer, 2012 Loran scholarThomas A. Stewart Secondary School, Keene, Ontario

Nicole helped to organize a ribbon campaign for students participating in the Terry Fox Run so they could demonstrate their empathy for the students at PCVS, which is slated to be closed. She is captain of her hockey and softball teams; she also curls and plays rugby. At school, she is editor of the yearbook and performed the role of Lady Mmmbeth in her class's production of the play of the same name. For two years, she was president of a Venturer Company of Scouts. She also works part-time at Sullivan's Pharmacy.

Biographies of 2012 Loran scholars

Hayden Rodenkirchen, 2012 Scace Loran scholarKelowna Christian School, Kelowna, British Columbia

Hayden is the co-president of his school’s social justice club and recently undertook a campaign that involves the community outside of the school with its charitable projects. He is a regular volunteer for the Kelowna Gospel Mission, plays rugby, skis, and leads the yearbook committee’s sponsorship initiative. Hayden interned with a fundraising firm in New York for one summer and spent six weeks studying French in Nice.

Anamjit Sivia, 2012 BMO Loran scholarWestern Canada High School, Calgary, Alberta

Anamjit is on the Mayor’s Youth Council in Calgary, for which he organized ‘Youth Week’ and co-chairs the media and promotions committee. He serves on the executive of his school’s Model United Nations club and is on the editorial committee of a local Sikh cul-tural magazine. For two years, Anamjit has been giving free weekly Tabla classes for chil-dren at his community centre. He also swims, represents his school in cross-country running, and leads a Bhangra dance group.

Megan Smith, 2012 Loran scholarHants East Rural High School, Nine Mile River, Nova Scotia

Megan is in her second year of coaching a Special Olympics swim team in her local community, the Cobequid Cougars. She has been involved in 4-H, at the local and na-tional level, for nine years. Megan and her partner earned a bronze medal in the Canada-Wide Science Fair and are recipients of the Ernest Manning Foundation Innovation Award for their work on an improved spinal board prototype designed for children.

Carly Sotas, 2012 Loran scholarBirtle Collegiate Institute, Birtle, MB

In tenth grade, Carly decided to help connect her rural Manitoba school with African communities facing severe water issues, and so she initiated the Build a Well Project. She is student council president and a peer helper. Carly plays piano, drums, violin and sings, and is a founding member of her school's drama club. She also plays volleyball and is captain of her school's senior girls’ soccer team.

Nathan Valsangkar, 2012 Belzberg Loran scholarDover Bay Secondary, Nanaimo, British Columbia

Nathan is the captain of his school’s wrestling team and created and coaches for a wres-tling program for students in elementary school. Nathan volunteers for the Nanaimo Sen-iors’ Village, plays the guitar and bass, and composes and arranges music for his school’s concert and jazz bands. He started and sings in a rock band, “The Sensitives.”

Biographies of 2012 Loran scholars

Julie Van de Valk, 2012 Loran scholarWaterloo Collegiate Institute, Waterloo, Ontario

Julie is captain of her school's nordic ski team and a member of a local Nordic sports club. For the past three years, she has led her school's environment club, which has, among other things, eliminated plastic water bottles, designed and built an outdoor classroom and installed 18 solar panels. She earned a gold medal in geographic informa-tion systems (GIS) in the Skills Canada - Ontario competition and works as an assistant in a geochemistry lab at University of Waterloo.

Evan Vassallo, 2012 Loran scholarSir Winston Churchill Secondary School, St. Catharines, Ontario

Evan has volunteered in the kitchen at the Southridge Community Church Shelter for several years. He served as a student trustee and is treasurer of the Mayor’s Youth Council. He was a member of the school rowing and cross country teams and he swims on the school team. He is co-editor of the school newspaper, plays piano, and is co-captain of the Reach for the Top team.

Cameron Yung, 2012 Nexen Loran scholarSt. Francis High School, Calgary, Alberta

Three years ago, Cameron formed, and continues to lead, Northwest Youth Volunteers, a group connecting youth with volunteer opportunities. At school, Cameron plays badmin-ton, soccer and hockey and serves as president of the student council. He was also the stage manager of three school plays and has received scholarships through the Calgary Kiwanis Music Festival for his piano performance.

Marshall Zhang, 2012 Loran scholarBayview Secondary School, Markham, Ontario

Marshall volunteers with Cystic Fibrosis Canada and has worked in a lab at SickKids Research Institute to investigate therapies to treat cystic fibrosis. He is chair of the stu-dent ambassador council of the Kids Help Phone, and serves as an ambassador himself. He is also a training coordinator for DECA and a prefect at his school. He plays saxo-phone and electric bass, is interested in digital arts, and plays soccer.

Tony Zhang, 2012 Loran scholarSir Oliver Mowat Collegiate Institute, Scarborough, Ontario

At the age of 16, Tony won a summer company award from the federal government and founded Tony Digital, a design agency. He serves as director and chair of the Tech Expo, a conference for high school students. He is also the founder of the Mowat Technology Council. He is a member of his school swim, tennis, and cross country teams; he also plays piano and saxophone.

Biographies of 2012 Loran scholars