Megan Lee [李善靈]
Bayview Secondary School, Richmond Hill
Lue Family Community Services Award
Volunteerism started early for Megan. In grade 7, she was a peer helper for students in the lower grades. Her enthusiasm for helping continued in high school where she served on the executive of community service clubs, including the Prefect Organization, the Ontario Students Against Impaired Driving Club, and the For Stop Trafficking of People Club. Outside of school, she volunteered locally at an outreach program for youth with intellectual disabilities and at community events, like Family Day and Canada Day. She was a member of the Richmond Hill’s Youth Action Committee. Megan combines her passion for dance and giving back to the community by performing at fundraising events and teaching dance at camps. A summer placement in Costa Rica has motivated her to expand her volunteerism overseas.
Megan is currently enrolled in economics with Advanced Entry Opportunity to the Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario.
Shannon Wong [王湘玲]
Richmond Hill High School, Richmond Hill
University of Toronto Scarborough Academics Award
Shannon, who averaged 98% in Grade 11 and Grade 12, has earned more than her share of awards. With top marks in physics, chemistry, biology, math, and business, she has been the National Champion of the University of Waterloo Math Contest, winner of the International Math Competition in Romania, provincial and National Champion of the Fibonacci Math Contest, and more accolades too numerous to name. Not limited by her accomplishments in the sciences, Shannon, who finds balance by immersing herself in literature and achieving the top mark of 96% for English, has published poetry and essays and won first place in the North American Science Fiction Contest. She found time to captain her school volleyball team, contribute over 1700 hours of community work, serve on the Richmond Hill’s Youth Action Committee, and perform as a visual artist, pianist, guitarist, percussionist, and Chinese fiddle player.
Shannon is currently enrolled at Queen’s University in the inaugural class of the Accelerated Route to Medical School (QuARMS).
Abbey Young [楊美儀]
Iona Catholic Secondary School, Mississauga
Murphy & Chung Chartered Accountants Athletics Award
Although Abbey faced many childhood challenges, she turned to athletics to fulfill her mother’s dream of a good education and healthy lifestyle for her daughter. Swimming and dance classes were the start. Later, she became a gymnast and provincial trampolinist, qualifying for Team Ontario. However, what won her over was soccer, a sport she started at age five. Abbey competed on the All-Star, Rep, Ontario Youth Soccer League, and Under 21 Provincial Club Team for the Erin Mills Soccer Club. While a team captain, her high school team won the Ontario Federation Student Athletic Association’s championship. Flag-football, cross-country, track & field, volleyball, and basketball, added to her repertoire of high school sports, thereby earning her the titles of MVP and Athlete of the Year. Working part-time as a coach and referee, Abbey also shared her love of soccer by volunteering her time to teach sports at camps and to underprivileged children.
Abbey is currently enrolled in kinesiology at Western University where she plays for its Women’s Soccer Team.
Howard Feng [馮旭豪]
Bayview Secondary School, Richmond Hill
Elizabeth & William C. Wong Innovation Award
While volunteering at the Hospital for Sick Children, Howard met a young patient who had inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). He subsequently undertook a research project to conduct IBD research there where he successfully identified a protein that became the foundation for research on drugs to cure IBD. Howard was in grade nine. This first project garnered the Best Young Scientist Publication Award from the National Research Council of Canada. He continued his investigation on IBD at Mount Sinai Hospital where he identified five genetic mutations associated with IBD, a discovery with the potential of alleviating pain and hours of lab work for IBD patients. With this research in hand, Howard represented Canada at the 2011 and 2012 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, placing second in the cellular and molecular biology category. Although Howard has received many other awards and distinctions, including those from the Canadian Physics Olympiad, the Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge, and Canada’s Top 20 Under 20, none have been as stellar as the one from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). In recognition of his IBD research accomplishments, the MIT Lincoln Laboratory named an asteroid (28210 Howardfeng) in his honour.
Howard is currently enrolled at Yale University where he seeks to find the synergies between the life sciences and business.
Jonathan Mak [麥子軒]
Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts, Toronto
Kotcheff Family Arts Award
Jonathan started studying piano at age three and within a year performed as a featured child prodigy on Fairchild TV. By age four, he made his solo debut with the Canadian Sinfonietta Orchestra. Since those early years, he has performed as a solo pianist with other orchestras, including the Toronto Cultural Youth Orchestra, Toronto Sinfonietta Orchestra, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra. The recipient of many music awards that include the Canadian Music Competition, Manchester International Concerto Competition, and Ontario Music Festivals, Jonathan passed the RCM grade ten piano practical exam (1st class honours) at age ten, performer’s piano exam (first class honours with distinction), and, most recently, ARCT performer’s diploma. Some memorable highlights have been playing in a masterclass held by world-renowned pianist Lang Lang, performing overseas in Italy and Bulgaria, and studying at the prestigious Aspen Music Festival and School in Colorado. Not limited to piano, Jonathan is also mastering viola in masterclasses, and performing in his high school’s Chamber Strings. In addition to his achievements in music, he is an honour student and volunteer at fundraising events and concerts.
Jonathan is in grade 11 at the Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts.