Schulich Leader Scholarships: UCalgary welcomes six promising young talents in STEM

The six recipients of the Schulich Leader Scholarships are set to start their journey at the University of Calgary.  

Shaey Beardmore, Magdalene Goward, Girish Nischal, Abigail Plumb, Abir Raiyan and Lillian Zhang have demonstrated incredible leadership and entrepreneurial thinking, each fostering STEM learning in their communities. 

Valued between $100,000 and $120,000, the Schulich Leader Scholarships are Canada’s most-coveted undergraduate STEM scholarships, and are awarded to entrepreneurial-minded high school graduates. The award allows the Schulich Leaders to devote their time and attention to their studies, without worrying about financial needs. 

UCalgary's recipients are:

Shaey Beardmore 

Faculty and program: Schulich School of Engineering – Engineering 

Shaey Beardmore is passionate about engineering and driven by a desire to create real positive change. 

As the captain of her FIRST Robotics Competition team, she developed technical and leadership abilities through problem solving and teamwork. 

Beardmore also introduced concepts in engineering foundations, classroom communication, problem-solving and technical skills as a junior instructor at University of British Columbia – Okanagan Geering Up. 

To foster hands-on engineering experiences in her community, she created and led free STEM workshops in her city. After the resounding success of her workshops, she was hired by the City of Kelowna to incorporate STEM programs into its recreational services. 

In university, Beardmore is hoping to take advantage of design teams and co-op programs to continue to develop her technical and leadership skills.

Magdalene Goward 

Faculty and program: Faculty of Science – Astrophysics

On the Honour Roll, Principal’s List and Character Awards for two consecutive years, Magdalene Goward is an example of academic excellence.  

Founding the first science club at her online school to combat isolation and build community was just the beginning. She spent more than 600 hours leading transformative projects for her high school and serving on committees. In her final year in high school, Goward became Student Council president. 

Noticing some students could not afford prom wear, Goward initiated Project Promfit, which brought affordable and second-hand prom wear to graduating students. 

Passionate about space research, Goward is aiming to develop groundbreaking space technology and sees her bachelor’s at UCalgary as a first step toward that goal. 

Girish Nischal 

Faculty and program: Faculty of Science – Computer Science and Physics

From auditing a second-year Introduction to Computer Systems course at the University of Manitoba to scoring a competitive internship at Neralake, an AI-powered startup, Girish Nischal has pushed the boundaries of learning beyond the classroom.

His passion for STEM and research has earned him an RBC Arnold Chan Memorial Award for Student Innovation where he led data exploration and pattern analysis. 

For his independent research on compiler optimization, analyzing the performance of the bubble sort algorithm, he won a Silver Provincial Medal (Seniors Category) at Manitoba Schools.  

Looking ahead, Nischal hopes to become an applied energy research scientist leading innovation in nuclear fusion systems to help design commercially viable clean energy systems that can replace fossil fuels.

Abigail Plumb

Faculty and program: Schulich School of Engineering – Engineering   

As founder and later coach of her school’s first women’s soccer team, Abigail Plumb is an innovator in her community. In the team's first year, it won bronze and grew to 20 players in its second season.  

As the captain for two robotics teams, Plumb fostered stronger engagement by running introductory sessions, organizing demonstrations, and reaching out to senior robotics teams for mentorship and industry sponsors for manufacturing support. 

Her leadership in both athletics and robotics earned her the E. David Dover 48 Innovation and Entrepreneurship Award. 

Selected as an Alberta Innovates High School Youth Researcher Summer (HYRS) Program award recipient, Plumb worked with professionals in Biomedical design and presented at a symposium. 

After completing her engineering degree, she has ambitions to start her own company to drive innovation. 

Abir Raiyan 

Faculties and programs: Haskayne School of Business and Faculty of Science – Business Technology Management and Computer Science 

A talented artist, Abir Raiyan used his painting skills to revive Bangla School of Regina's cultural engagement. His work included paintings of the Liberation War and a replica of the Sriti Shoudho monument, increasing attendance to annual the National Victory Day of Bangladesh celebration at his school to more than 200 people.

A cancer survivor, Raiyan founded ARAcrylicStudio, a non-profit Facebook page, where he sells acrylic paintings and donates 100 per cent of the earnings to cancer foundations.  

“I learned that the hardest moments in life can become the foundation for meaningful change,” Raiyan says. 

He developed his skills in systems, code algorithms and applied maths by developing and creating 10 games in the last six months. 

In the future, Raiyan hopes to build meaningful and profitable businesses and is excited about the potential of AI, automation and software design to remove barriers and create opportunities for others. 

Lillian Zhang

Faculty and program: Schulich School of Engineering – Engineering

Describing technology as a tool for equity and creating opportunities for those in need, Lillian Zhang has used her abilities in STEM to solve real life issues. 

At the 2024 Canada Wide Science Fair, she won the Excellence Award – Silver (Intermediate) for her Lower Limb Auxiliary Exoskeleton project which provided lower-body support from individuals with reduced mobility. 

Seeing her exoskeleton prototype used in a real setting to help improve a person's balance fuelled Zhang's passion for mechanical engineering and its endless possibilities. 

As the Finance and Public Relations Team Lead for Math Attack Society, Zhang has developed entrepreneurial skills including leadership, innovation and problem solving.  

She aspires to bridge the gap between high-end clinical research and affordable consumer products, creating life-changing mobility aids that prioritize user comfort and socioeconomic accessibility.