Luca Filippelli is among 100 students from across Canada chosen to receive a prestigious Schulich Leadership scholarship. As York University’s newest Schulich Leader Scholar, Filippelli will begin his first year of studies at the Lassonde School of Engineering this fall.
He was chosen from a cohort of 1,500 students, who were nominated for the scholarships from a pool of 300,000 high school graduates from across Canada. Schulich Leader Scholars are selected for their outstanding academic and extra-curricular achievements. Filippelli will receive a $100,000 Schulich Leader scholarship over four years.
A graduate of St. Michael Catholic Secondary School in Bolton, Filippelli spoke only Italian as a child but by the time he graduated from Grade 12, he had earned a 97 per cent mark in English. Filippelli aspires to become a computer engineer and will work towards this goal as a member of the Lassonde School of Engineering student community.
An ardent volunteer in high school, Filippelli was part of a student leadership group called Thunder Crew, which organized school events to introduce and engage younger students in high school life. He also promoted Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) studies during school open houses by conducting physics demonstrations related to Newton’s laws of motion, the transfer of energy and sound.
“Schulich Leader Scholarships are the premiere STEM scholarship program in Canada and the world. With 100 outstanding students selected in Canada this year, it is all but guaranteed that this group will represent the best and brightest Canada has to offer,” says program founder Seymour Schulich. “These future leaders will make great contributions to society, both on a national and global scale. With their university expenses covered, they can focus their time on their studies, research projects, extracurricular and entrepreneurial ventures. They are the next generation of entrepreneurial-minded technology innovators.”
About the Schulich Leader Scholarships Canada
Recognizing the increasing importance and impact that STEM disciplines will have on the prosperity of future generations, businessman and philanthropist Seymour Schulich established this $100+ million scholarship fund in 2012 to encourage Canada’s best and brightest students to become Schulich Leader Scholars, who are envisioned to be the next generation of entrepreneurial-minded, technology innovators.
Through the Schulich Foundation, this year these prestigious entrance scholarships have been awarded to 100 high school graduates who are enrolled in a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) undergraduate program at 20 partner universities in Canada. Every high school in Canada can submit one Schulich Leader Nominee per academic year based on academic excellence in STEM, entrepreneurial leadership, and financial need.