A Port Coquitlam teen has been foreseen as a "potential" future leader among Canada's scientific community.
Grace Gao will pursue a Bachelor of Science at UBC starting in the fall after graduating from Port Moody Secondary this month.
And perhaps she'll be able to go above and beyond her academic goals as she recently received a six-figure endowment to relieve almost all of the financial burden that comes with post-secondary education.
Gao earned a $100,000 scholarship from the Schulich Leaders fund — one of 100 high school students from across the country to do so.
Her name was selected from more than 300,000 candidates, which was then narrowed down to 1,500 nominees.
It's considered to be one of Canada's "most coveted" national scholarships as it aims to inspire students wishing to find a career in science, technology, engineering or math (STEM).
"Grace Gao was selected for her outstanding final grades and academic achievements and will now be part of an esteemed network of national STEM scholars at one of Canada's leading universities," School District 43 (SD43) stated about Gao's accomplishment.
The funding is set to help cover her undergraduate courses at UBC.
The school is one of 20 research-based universities that's partnered with the Schulich Leader Scholarship.
"Schulich Leaders can devote their full time and attention to their studies, as all of their financial needs are covered over the course of their bachelor degree," the organization said on its website.
"As a result, many of Canada's highest potential students are winning these scholarships and will make game-changing contributions to society."
You can learn more about the Schulich Leader Scholarship program by visiting its website.
