Scholarship winner’s work pays off
Prize awarded to low-income students with strong potential
Coming from a low-income family, Shahan Mahmood was held back from pursuing opportunities other kids his age might have experienced because their families could afford it.
After seeing his parents come home after a day’s hard work at minimumwage jobs, Mahmood felt inspired and grateful when he saw the “tiredness in their eyes” because of their efforts to support him.
Mahmood’s hard work paid off after he received the Horatio Alger Canadian Scholarship of $5,000, making his goals seem a little bit more in reach.
Earlier this month, the 17-year-old was doing his English homework when he received an email notifying him that he was one of 80 recipients of the scholarship.
“I had mixed emotions. At first I was in disbelief and I was surprised,” Mahmood told the Star. “But I am entirely grateful as a student who has always been concerned since day one about how I’m going to afford university — tuition, books, residence — these costs have always been something on my mind.” Mahmood said that when applying for the scholarship, he focused on how despite his family’s financial circumstances, he still managed to work hard towards his goals through various extracurricular activities.
The scholarships are awarded annually to high school students and CEGEP students in Quebec who are in financial need and “have overcome significant adversity while demonstrating strength of character, strong academics, a commitment to pursuing higher education as well as a desire to contribute to society,” according to the Horatio Alger Association of Canada website.
The Horatio Alger Association of Canada was founded in 2009 to “recognize men and women of outstanding achievement and to educate young Canadians about the limitless opportunities that exist through the free market system,” the website reads.
“It got started to propagate the idea that (with) hard work, honesty and determination, whatever your circumstances, you can conquer,” said Prem Watsa, president of the Horatio Alger Association of Canada.
“The candidates are chosen on the basis of their humble backgrounds and they’ve succeeded. It’s a fantastic privilege that we are able to bring scholarships for developing young Canadians across the country. We all came from humble beginnings . . . all the Canadian winners come from humble beginnings.”
Last year Mahmood, along with a team of students across the GTA, cofounded a company through Junior Achievement, a non-profit organization that educates youth on business. The company provided students with the opportunity to learn about financial literacy and how to manage their money.
Through a bursary, he also attended the SHAD summer program at the University of British Columbia, where he got to network with 60 other high school students who are interested in math, science, technology, engineering and the arts.
Mahmood said the Horatio Alger Canadian Scholarship money has allowed him to consider applying to other universities that he might have not considered before, such as the University of British Columbia’s business school.
On Wednesday, he was accepted to Queen’s University’s commerce program, but he still considering his options.
The Grade 12 Runnymede Collegiate Institute student said he aspires to support low-income and marginalized youth by either pushing legislation through a political career or creating change through entrepreneurship.
In his spare time, Mahmood is a member of the Toronto District School Board’s Student SuperCouncil where he represents hundreds of students at the TDSB’s board and subcommittee meetings.
He’s also working with a team of other students to create a cryptocurrency virtual simulator for youth, where 13- to 19-year-olds can “use fake dollars to invest in cryptocurrency using real-time values.”
“The scholarship money I get is hours my parents and I don’t have to work toward. I know my parents don’t have much to contribute to my university education, so this scholarship means a lot to me but it also means a lot to them.”
Mahmood’s parents are both from Bangladesh. His father came to Canada in 1991 and works inventory at a warehouse. His mother came in 1997 and is a cashier at 7-Eleven.
“Seeing them working so hard every day has really compelled me to pursue my dreams and aspirations,” Mahmood said.
“I know they really strive to have me go for a university education and ensure that I can have opportunities that they didn’t have access to.” With files from Fakiha Baig