Brampton student selected to earn prestigious award

Alexander Parsan, a student of Brampton’s Heart Lake Secondary School, has just been selected as a Loran Scholar.

Alexander Parsan, a student of Brampton’s Heart Lake Secondary School, has just been selected as a Loran Scholar.

“We believe that the promise of a young person is to be found in character. To find Canada’s next generation of leaders, we must look beyond grades and rankings to find the promise of character,” the foundation writes on its website.

“At the Loran Scholars Foundation, we identify and support young people who have the integrity and courage to make difficult decisions, the perseverance to work towards long-term goals, the curiosity to better understand the world around them and the drive to make positive change in their communities.”

5,194 students applied this year alone and the top 88 finalists from travelled to Toronto for National Selections on January 31 and February 1, 2020.

The interviewers selected 36 Loran Scholars from across Canada who demonstrated leadership, academic interests, integrity and a high level of personal autonomy.

Parsan was one of the 36 recipients of Canada’s largest and most comprehensive four-year undergraduate award for character, service and leadership. 

“The feeling is almost indescribable. It’s more than just winning a monetary award; it’s an opportunity to grow, develop and impact more people positively,” said Parsan.

Parsan plays an active role in his school community. He is the Vice President of his school’s Student Council and Co-President and Founder of their first-ever Mock Trial Team.

He is also the student-lead in an inter-school STEAM event called MakerFaire, which he initiated while he was in middle school as well as being a member of the Heart Lake Music Program where he is a multi-instrumentalist.

In terms of where Parsan sees himself in the next five years, he says he sees a future in business and law.

“I see myself working in Business in some capacity or attending post-graduate school to pursue a degree in Law. Regardless of my profession, my main goal is to make a difference in whatever I do,” he said.

This year, there were eleven other recipients of the Loran Award from Ontario.

The Loran Award includes annual stipends, tuition waivers from a partner university, mentorship, summer internship funding as well as annual retreats and forums. 

Photo credits: Eric Choi (Edge Imaging)