May 3, 2021 (Carleton Place, ON) – Carleton Place High School student Annika Culhane has won the very prestigious Schulich Leader Scholarship, making her the second UCDSB student to earn the award this year and a first in CPHS history. Annika, who will graduate from Carleton Place High School this June, is “beyond excited” at this recognition of her achievements, both in and out of school.
To have earned this award for undergraduate studies in STEM is extraordinary. Up to 1,500 students from across Canada are nominated each year in hopes of being selected for one of the hundred available scholarships. This scholarship program, celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, was established by philanthropist Seymour Schulich, to encourage ambitious and dedicated students like Annika to “pursue their dreams and become the next global pioneers”.
Each high school can only nominate just one student, and CPHS’ Awards Committee was delighted to stand behind Annika as their nominee. She has been a stand-out throughout her four years at CPHS. In fact, her academic achievements will long be remembered by staff, particularly in math. By the time she began her first year of high school, she had already completed Grade 9 and 10 academic math and went straight into MCR3U. This is indicative of her commitment, her desire to learn, her intellectual curiosity, and her ambition. So far this year, she has not had a final mark below 96%.
Annika’s pursuit of excellence extends beyond math. She is just as comfortable learning in a social science class, and loves debates, philosophical questions, and out-of-the-box thinking. She has participated in seven University of Waterloo contests (earning bragging rights as school champion and with results in the top 5 per cent worldwide), the national science fair, and a variety of school teams. She has accrued many volunteer hours as a tutor to other CPHS students, even during periods of remote learning.
Outside of school, she works part-time, takes guitar lessons in Russian, and has been involved in the Cadet program for over seven years. Through the Cadets, Annika has been an accomplished biathlete, a volunteer instructor for Navy League Cadets, and the top marksman in the OSLA region for the last four years.
Annika is off to McMaster University in Hamilton next year, where she will use her $100,000 scholarship to study Chemical Engineering. In addition to the Schulich scholarship, McMaster has awarded Annika a Dean’s Excellence Scholarship and an Engineering Excellence Scholarship.
She is both humbled and proud of this recognition, and says, “I am honoured to make the CPHS name known in the engineering community and Schulich foundation.” Annika will surely continue to shine at university and beyond, as she seeks further opportunities to demonstrate leadership, innovation, and creativity.
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For more information:
Shelley Riddell
Principal, CPHS
[email protected]