A Local student’s hard work and dedication was rewarded with the $5,000 Horatio Alger Canadian Scholarship.
The Horatio Alger Canadian Scholarship is awarded to approximately 100 Canadian academic students who have faced personal adversity.
“I believe that no matter what kind of student you are, no matter what kind of person you are, everybody has faced adversity in their life,” said Chestermere student Navdip Gill.
“It wasn’t that I felt that I was specifically eligible for this because I think everybody could be eligible,” she said.
As soon as Gill saw that the Horatio Alger Association was looking for academic students, she knew she wanted to apply for the scholarship.
“I have worked really hard to maintain an academic status throughout high school,” Gill said.
Not only does the Horatio Alger Canadian Scholarship focus on students who have overcome challenges in their life, but it also focuses on students who are involved in their community.
“Community involvement is something I focus a lot on, and I try to keep on the top of my priority list because it’s so important,” Gill said.
Community involvement has been a high priority for Gill since she was in elementary school, helping teachers with bulletin boards, or starting a recycling committee with her friends.
As Gill got older, she began to volunteer in community events, such as Langdon Days, Christmas markets, and the Youth Encouraging Lasting Leadership (YELL) Youth Council.
“I’m often out volunteering at events whenever I can. I just do my best, but a lot of my involvement is through the YELL Youth Council because they have such a diverse range of what they do,” Gill said.
Gill thanks her mother for her passion for community involvement, as her mother has always put the people around her as a top priority.
“I’m in a good place in my life, so if I can share my time and resources with other people, I love to do it,” Gill said.
When Gill found out she was a recipient of the Horatio Alger Canadian Scholarship, she was stunned.
Gill saw an email from the Horatio Alger Association and thought it was a reminder that the winners would be announced soon.
“The first word I saw was ‘Congratulations,’ and I just closed the email,” Gill said.
“There are so many fantastic Canadians out there who are just as deserving of this scholarship, knowing that I got it, and knowing that the efforts that I put into high school are being paid off in this way was amazing,” she said.
Gill is now planning to use the Horatio Alger Canadian Scholarship at the University of Calgary for Biomedical Science, or the University of Alberta for Physiology.
“I’m hoping to go into medicine after my undergrad. Both of these programs are Science, Technology, Engineering, and mathematics (STEM) related,” Gill said.
Gill is extremely passionate about conducting research throughout post-secondary.
“Research is one of those things that makes me, me. Everybody has their thing. This is just my thing,” Gill said.
“There is something about taking the knowledge that already exists and expanding upon it academically. It challenges me; that’s why I love it,” she said.
She added, “It explains the why behind things. You’re not just given a textbook and told to memorize it. You’re given the opportunity to make your own understanding of things that are already known while coming to a new conclusion about it.”
Last year, Gill conducted research and was published on her research through the University of Calgary Heritage Youth Researcher Summer (HYRS) program.
“I realized in the past couple years that research is something I definitely want to be doing during my undergrad career,” Gill said.
Since elementary school, Gill has participated in science fairs competitively.
“Doing my own research has been something unbelievably needed in my life, and I’ve always prioritized it,” Gill said.
“When I found out that the University of Calgary offered the summer internship program, I was elated. I didn’t think I would be able to research at that capacity until I was in my undergrad,” she said.
Although Gill is passionate about research, she does face academic burnout.
“For academic students facing that burnout, it can be a struggle, this was a light at the end of the tunnel,” Gill said.
Gill treated applying for scholarships as a part-time job and receiving the Horatio Alger Canadian Scholarship has made her realize that all of the effort’s students put in, will be paid off.
“It showed that everything will be as it is supposed to be, you will get to where you need to be, and if you put in the work, it will pay off,” she said.
