UC Welcomes 2020 Pearson Scholars

Sami El Sabri will be studying life sciences at UC this fall. Originally from Germany, he recently completed the IB program at an international school in Costa Rica.

“I was born and raised in Germany, but my family are Moroccan-Berber immigrants. Therefore, I grew up between two very different cultures and the UWC experience made me appreciate and love intercultural and international learning even more. I am honoured and thrilled to be trusted with this outstanding scholarship opportunity at the University of Toronto.

I am not only fond of intercultural learning, but also interdisciplinary learning. I enjoy geography, human biology, linguistics, anthropology, psychology, politics and urban development. Combining my very wide array of interests has been a difficult task, but at this point, I envision my future in the field of Public Health, as I see it as the interdisciplinary sweet spot. Through my enrollment at U of T, I aim to become the agent of change I always wanted to be and combine everything I will have learned to make a long-term positive impact.”

Molly Elizabeth Graham, from Northern Ireland, plans to study life sciences at UC.

“I firmly believe there is no greater cause in life than empowering communities to have the freedom to make responsible decisions and choose a life they value. Therefore, I would like to pursue a career in global health policy which focuses on social justice: maximizing welfare, promoting freedom and rewarding virtue. I was chosen as Head Girl of my school in 2019-2020, which was an amazing opportunity for leadership skills, communication and responsibility. Among other roles, I have been part of the Christian Union committee, school council leadership, a principal organizer of the student school concert and a founding member of the Eco-Club (which most notably introduced biodegradable cutlery, food bins and removed single-use plastics from the canteen).

In my free time, I love to be active in nature and particularly enjoy hiking and camping in the beautiful Mourne Mountains. I am incredibly honoured to have been awarded this scholarship. I will endeavour to integrate fully into the U of T learning community, where I can build the skills necessary to achieve my goals and be inspired by the diversity around me to push back the horizons of my hopes.”

 Anuj Manchanda comes to UC from Thailand to study commerce.

"I am incredibly humbled and honored to be a recipient of the Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship Program. Having lived in Bangkok and interacted with an international community my whole life, I continue to appreciate and cherish the diverse array of opinions and talents to which I am exposed. I am particularly passionate about the power of social enterprises and microfinancing, which I have fortunately been able to explore throughout high school. As such, the prospect of studying business subdisciplines like finance through the lens of social entrepreneurship and justice in the Rotman Commerce program excites me deeply.

Outside of the classroom, I find joy in taking advantage of opportunities to explore my interests and connect with various communities through the student and service councils, environmental initiatives (even though I’m afraid of bugs), and musical performances (although most of them take place in my shower). I am eternally grateful for this opportunity and I look forward to finding my role and bringing my voice to the University of Toronto’s vibrant, diverse, and talented community.”