Sam Sharp (top) and Tessa Hill are two of the 35 Loran Scholars in 2019. They chose to King’s to King’s and enroll in the Foundation Year Program.
From more than 5,000 applicants and among 88 finalists, Tessa Hill of Toronto, and Sam Sharp of Stittsville, Ont., were selected as two of the 35 recipients from across Canada to become 2019 Loran Scholars, receiving Canada’s largest and most comprehensive undergraduate merit-based award. They have chosen to enroll at the University of King’s College this autumn out of 25 partner universities.
According to the Loran Scholars Foundation, it invests in Canada’s greatest resource—youth. To find these young people, the foundation administers the most thorough scholarship selection process in the country. As such, selection supersedes grades and is based on evidence of integrity, courage, compassion, grit, a high level of personal autonomy and a dedication to creating positive change.
Loran Scholars receive a renewable four-year award valued at over $100,000. It is comprised of living stipends and a matching tuition waiver from the partner university, money for summer internships, one-on-one mentorship and the opportunity to connect with other high-potential youth through scholar gatherings. Following their undergraduate studies, Loran Scholars are welcomed into an engaged alumni community, in which former scholars connect and collaborate through regional hubs and larger reunion events.
“Loran provides me with the tools I need to navigate a world of endless potential,” says Sharp. “I have access to an amazing post-secondary education, while also being able to make incredible connections through both the opportunities presented by the award and the Loran community.”
Hill says, “Being a Loran Scholar means bringing together those around you to create new pathways and, most of all, growing along with your community.”
“I chose King’s because of its vibrant and resilient community where students are challenged to see the world in a new way.”—Tessa Hill
“I feel a strong sense of potential and growth here [at King’s].”—Sam Sharp
The Loran Foundation says Hill and Sharp embody Loran’s values of character, commitment to serving their communities, and long-term leadership potential, as demonstrated by their contributions and initiatives.
A Ralph M. Barford Loran Scholar, Sharp was co-president of West Carleton Secondary School’s student council. She has worked with initiatives supporting tornado relief in her community and also helped organize events such as Leadership Camp and Relay for Life. She studied for a semester in Barcelona, Spain. Sharp has also been a competitive dancer for many years and assists teaching Spanish to children.
A Young Fund Loran Scholar, Hill is a writer, activist and filmmaker who attended Etobicoke School of the Arts. She founded and led a youth forum in partnership with the 519 centre, which provides students with tools of activism. She ran a social justice club that tackled issues within the school community. And Hill was a part of the Shameless Magazine Youth Advisory Board.
Both Hill and Sharp are currently enrolled in King’s Foundation Year Program.
King’s currently has five Loran scholars on campus. From left: Katie Clark, Tessa Hill, Nick Harris, Sam Sharp, Adri Vanos
When asked about why she chose King’s, Sharp says it was because of the close sense of community, as well as the unique final year project. “I am so excited to read and discuss literature and philosophy with a wide breadth of passionate students, as well as learn more from the incredible professors. I feel a strong sense of potential and growth here.”
Hill says she chose King’s because of its vibrant and resilient community. “Students are challenged to see the world in a new way.”
King’s has welcomed nine Loran Scholars over the past three decades including Sarah Burns (Ralph M. Barford Loran Scholar ’11), who later went on to become a Rhodes Scholar. There are currently there are five Loran Scholars at King’s. In addition to Hill and Sharp, this includes upper-year students Nick Harris, Katie Clark and Adri Vanos.
Applications for the 2020 class of Loran Scholars are now open.
To learn more about the Loran Award and how you can support the Loran Scholars Foundation, please visit www.loranscholar.ca.
About the Loran Scholars Foundation and Loran Award
The Loran Scholars Foundation, established in 1988, is a national charity that works in partnership with universities, donors, and volunteers throughout the country to find and nurture young people who demonstrate strength of character, commitment to service, and leadership potential. The foundation looks for qualities in Loran Scholars that a transcript alone cannot show—integrity, courage, compassion, determination, entrepreneurial spirit, and a high level of personal autonomy—and invests in these students to study and realize their potential on Canadian university campuses.
