Grads Land Prestigious Business Scholarships

Jake MacDonnell and Aiden McKinnon are two of Grammar’s graduating students who’ve been offered significant scholarships by universities. Their stories have a lot in common. Both students were influenced in their choice of university by the experiences of family members attending those schools. Their applications communicated similar experiences, from basketball and Junior Achievement to Habitat for Humanity and student council. And their feelings about Grammar and how it helped them reach these goals are much the same as well.

 

“The standard of teaching here is incredible,” says Jake. Aiden agrees: “The teaching on its own gives you the understanding of the material. And I’m by no means exceptional. Then if you need extra help they’re always available.”

 

Jake has won the Faculty Entrance Scholarship to the University of Western Ontario, worth $30,000. UWO is his mother’s and aunt’s alma mater. The school received over 850 applications for their national scholarships, interviewed only 67 candidates, and awarded scholarships to 35 of those. A big part of Jake’s interview was a discussion of his essay, required for this scholarship application. He wrote about aboriginal homelessness, a topic he became interested in during his work on the Habitat for Humanity service work Grammar did in Guatemala in 2013.

 

“Ms. Brock was a huge help on that essay. She helped me find sources, she read it over to make sure my points were flowing clearly. It’s that kind of interaction with teachers that sets this school apart,” Jake explains.

 

Jake’s family moved to Nova Scotia from South Carolina five years ago, and three years ago enrolled him at HGS. Aiden has a longer history at the school, starting out in third grade, but he shares the same high opinion:

 

“My goal was to work hard to get good marks to get a decent scholarship to give my parents a break,” he explains. “Academic excellence is held very high here, and all the teachers want to help you with that, they help you learn how to prioritize, how to manage multiple things at once.”

 

Aiden has won the Canadian Scholarship from St. Francis Xavier University, worth $24,000. The scholarship is offered to only six students in Atlantic Canada. He was also offered scholarships from Dalhousie and Acadia, but X runs in the family, both past and present, with a cousin attending currently. Like Jake, Aiden’s application for the scholarship included his service work for Habitat for Humanity, leadership on the HGS student council, and his contribution to athletics at HGS via the basketball and tennis programs.

 

And the similarities don’t end there. Both young men will study business, Aiden at St. FX’s Gerald Schwartz School, and Jake as one of a limited number of students accepted via Advanced Entry Opportunity into the Ivey Honours Business Administration program.

 

Congratulations, Aiden and Jake. We look forward to hearing about your first years!