Dalhousie’s Newest Schulich Leaders Poised to Transform Passion into Possibility

Schulich Leader Scholarships have been opening doors for some of Dalhousie’s most promising young minds for more than a decade.

The scholarships, awarded annually to 100 students at 20 universities across Canada, are well-known for accelerating student achievement in STEM (science, tech, engineering, math) by offering generous financial support and a built-in network of entrepreneurial-minded students across the country.

This year, Dal welcomes six new Schulich recipients into its midst — three receiving engineering scholarships ($120,000) and three receiving science, math and tech scholarships ($100,000).

They’re passionate, they’re ambitious, and they might just be the face of Canadian innovation in the years to come.

Meet Dalhousie’s 2024 Schulich Leaders below:

Seth Morency

Faculty of Engineering (Seeley’s Bay, ON)

Summer vacations have a way of etching themselves into your memory. Growing up, Seth Morency spent two weeks every summer visiting a beach house in New Brunswick.

“Every time that I came, I had the time of my life, and everything about Atlantic Canada became an incredibly special part of my childhood,” he says.

Seth developed a fascination with the ocean and its creatures during these trips out east. But he also began to witness some of the negative impacts humans were having on the marine environment, such as plastic pollution.

As he learned more about threats facing aquatic life, Seth’s urge to help grew. Studying biology and physics in high school opened a world of possibilities for how he could do so. He also became inspired by companies developing technologies to remove waste from the ocean, setting his sights on a career in environmental engineering.

“I want to do my part to repair the damage done to them so that future generations can enjoy all the amazing things that I got to experience when I was a young,” he says.

When it came time to apply to university, Seth knew the East Coast was the perfect place to do it. Dal’s environmental engineering program signalled to him like a lighthouse, and it didn’t hurt that he’d also have access to a huge range of sports and leadership opportunities.

“I am excited for all the new opportunities that university life has to offer,” he says.

Before diving into university this month, he took the chance to build another layer of summer vacation memories — these ones during a week in Tatamagouche on Nova Scotia’s north shore.

“Being back here on the ocean has brought back so many childhood memories and reminds me of all the amazing aquatic opportunities Atlantic Canada has to offer.” — Matt Reeder

Jami McDowell

Faculty of Agriculture — Engineering (Pictou, N.S.)

Ever find yourself walking down the street and think to yourself, “Hey, why is that thing the way it is? How could it be improved?”

Incoming engineering student Jami McDowell does.

“I think that the best thing about engineering is that you can find inspiration everywhere,” says Jami.

She says engineering presents opportunities to be an active participant in creating new technologies, systems and products that can help people. In her case, she wants to design bio-robotics that will assist people in dealing with epilepsy. She plans to pursue a certificate in biomedical engineering at Dal.

Jami says she can’t wait to meet like-minded peers and professors at Dal and get involved in engineering specific clubs, programs, and events.

“Meeting like-minded people is one of the great joys of being in a very tailored program, and I know that my peers will be as passionate about engineering as I am,” she says.

Jami says her mom helped her overcome some fears of entering a male-dominated field and taught her about the importance of hard work in going far.

But as much as studying and coursework will form the foundation of her engineering studies, Jami sees great possibility in some of the more playful, experimental opportunities at Dal, too. She’s excited to spend time in Dal’s Emera ideaHUB, a world-class workspace Sexton Campus downtown where students, faculty, and partners can collaborate on prototypes for new physical products.

“I think that the ideaHUB is a fantastic initiative,” she says. “It makes me extremely proud to be a student at Dalhousie.” — Matt Reeder

Jules Owen-Pole

Faculty of Computer Science (Carstairs, Alta.)

When Jules Owen-Pole began using computers at home as a kid, it opened up new horizons that would eventually lead her to Dalhousie’s Faculty of Computer Science.

“I was introduced to the amazing world of computers with my dad,” she says.

While some families struggle over technology and how much to use it, Jules’s experience inspired in her a deeper curiosity about computer science. In high school, she took on courses and internships that solidified her interests in the field.

“What most excites me about the field is the sheer amount of innovation that is possible,” she says.

Orientation will mark Jules’s first time on campus, but it’s what she heard about Dal that had her book the flight. “I had heard amazing things about the quality of education at Dal and the sense of community and campus life.”

Her dad and brothers will travel from Alberta to Nova Scotia to help her settle in. “The history of Nova Scotia is also incredibly interesting to me and I’m excited to explore and learn more in Halifax,” she says. — Tanis Trainor

Harrison Basquill

Faculty of Engineering (Woodville, N.S.)

Harrison Basquil describes engineering in a way that calls to mind the practicality and adaptability of a Swiss Army knife.

“What I love about engineering is that it involves a diverse set of skills and applies them to solve real world problems, improving people’s lives,” says the incoming mechanical engineering student.

Rather than just solving relatively simple day-to-day problems such as opening a can, though, engineering also holds the promise of helping tackle far bigger challenges.

Like many young people of his generation, Harrison grew up surrounded by news of the severe impacts of Earth’s warming climate. He explored research about clean energy and technologies to offset his feeling that society was falling short in its attempts to prevent these effects.

“This gave me hope for the future and was one of greatest influences on my decision to become an engineer,” he says. “It is my ambition to innovate and build on existing technologies to help protect our planet through engineering solutions.”

Harrison says Dal appealed to him because of the strength of its programs and reputation as a hub of diversity, innovation, research, and fresh ideas. He says the chance to live in a bigger cultural centre and meet new people of all backgrounds was also exciting after having grown up in a small rural town.

Still, he’s happy he’s not too far from his family home in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley.

“Being immersed in this setting while living right in my home province is a unique opportunity that I couldn’t pass up,” he says. “To me, Dal is the perfect place to expand my own knowledge and independence without straying too far from my roots.” — Matt Reeder

Katya McBeth

Faculty of Science (Bedford, N.S.)

Katya McBeth has been a regular on campus over the last three years, but this September marks her first as a Dalhousie student.

A community member of the DalSymphony Orchestra, the opportunity to take both science and music classes drew her to study at Dal.

“I’ve been playing the violin since I was three years old and it’s really important to me to maintain that aspect of myself,” she says.

Katya plans to major in economics.

“I’ve always loved mathematics and problem-solving. Economics is a field that will allow me to think creatively,” she says. Motivated by her family’s Ukrainian heritage, she is especially interested in financial security and combatting terrorist financing.

A love of problem-solving also appears in McBeth’s summer activities. “My sister and I, we’ve been binge watching mystery movies. In one week, we rewatched one of our favorites – Knives Out – three times,” she says.

“I’m really looking forward to discovering my individuality and meeting new people from different backgrounds and learning from them,” she says. “I come from a really small school — 150 students — so being on campus will be a huge change.” — Tanis Trainor

Miriam Epstein

Faculty of Science (Picton, Ont.)

Miriam Epstein remembers her first visit to Halifax well. “I remember thinking it was a beautiful city and good size,” she says.

Being from a small town, she didn’t want to go somewhere too big like Toronto for university. Also, there’s no ocean, so that wouldn’t work.

“I’m 99 per cent sure that I want to go into ocean science,” she says.

The prospect of learning from Dal’s ocean-science experts about cutting-edge research on topics she finds compelling — such as carbon storage in the ocean — added further interest.

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity to learn from people who are professionals and deep into what they’re studying and really passionate about it,” she says.

It was Miriam’s high school science teacher who inspired her to pursue a degree at Dal.

“She was my science teacher in Grade 9, and I had her again in Grade 12 for biology and chemistry. She is such a wonderful person who cares so much about what she’s teaching, but also her students,” she says.

Before packing up for her fall adventure to the East Coast, Miriam’s summer adventures featured a trip to Europe, a visit from her stepsister who lives in Australia, and spending as much time with family and friends as she can. — Tanis Trainor