Alex Gillis from Halifax has
been chosen as one of 30 students Canada wide to win the prestigious Loran
Scholarship.
Gillis is a grade 12 student
at Fountain Academy of the Sacred Heart School of Halifax and was among three
young Nova Scotian students nominated by his school for the award.
Fountain Academy Principal,
Robert Marchand has seen his potential grow in many different ways over the
past few years.
“It’s not surprising he’s
being recognized because he’s a top notch student, but he’s also got so many
other outside interests.”
The scholarship, which began
in 1990 focuses on character, integrity and service to the community. There
were 4,237 students from all across Canada nominated based on their
achievements and of those, 400 interviews were conducted in order to determine
the best of the best.
At 17-years-old Gillis
already has an extensive resume. He co-founded and runs a Halifax wide program
called Hoist, for students wanting to
learn more about technology, business and design. He also started his own
company along with co-founder Aristides Milios called Bitness. The company uses smartphone signals to collect data in
order to help retailers track customer behaviour. Bitness aids these companies in marketing efforts as well as
staffing and already has a sizeable following.
This past weekend the 80
finalists were invited to Toronto for national selections and one final
interview to determine the winning scholars.
The 30 students awarded the
scholarship will receive up to $100,000 in tuition and living stipends, mentorship,
funding for internships, as well as the opportunity to participate in annual
retreats and orientation expeditions all over the world.
The remaining scholars who
did not receive the scholarship were still awarded up to $3,000 in tuition
fees.
Alex has his eyes on the
University of British Colombia and the Commerce program the school has to
offer. As an eager and successful entrepreneur already he is very excited about
the mentorship program the Loran Scholarship allows.
Globe & Mail article
Learn more about the Loran Scholarship
