Loran Scholars Foundation
460 Richmond Street West, Suite 502 M5V 1Y1 Toronto, ON, Canada

#Loran2021 | Meet Abygail Montague from Hamilton, ON: Abygail is student council president. She co-founded an organization that fundraises and holds community events for youth. Abygail is captain of her local lacrosse team and referees the sport. She volunteers at her church and for local organizations. Abygail is also co-creator of a social media platform with a mission to support Black-owned businesses in her community. Abygail est présidente du conseil des élèves de son é...cole. Elle a cofondé une organisation qui recueille des fonds afin d’organiser des activités pour les jeunes de sa région. Elle est également capitaine de l’équipe locale de crosse et arbitre de ce sport. Bénévole pour sa communauté religieuse et divers organismes de quartier, Abygail est aussi co-créatrice d’une plateforme de média social dont la mission est de soutenir les entreprises locales dont les propriétaires sont de race noire. Congratulations, Aby!

This year, Loran volunteers rose to a unique challenge: getting to know hundreds of youth across the country, and creating meaningful experiences for them, at a distance. Over the past six months, 400+ volunteers reviewed thousands of applications, interviewed semi-finalists logging in from 161 Canadian communities, and conducted National Selections all leading up to last week, when we introduced the 2021 Loran Scholars. In celebration of the community, resiliency, and crea...tivity that energized our first fully remote selections, here is a behind-the-scenes look at #Loran2021. Cette année, les bénévoles de Loran ont eu à surmonter un défi unique. Ils ont dû faire la connaissance de centaines de jeunes partout au pays et leur faire vivre une expérience extraordinaire, mais à distance. Au cours des six derniers mois, plus de 400 bénévoles ont revu des milliers de candidatures, ont passé en entrevue des demi-finalistes se branchant de 161 collectivités canadiennes et ont mené des sélections nationales pour nous permettre, la semaine dernière, de finalement vous présenter les Boursier.ère.s Loran 2021. Pour la première fois, notre processus de sélection s’est fait complètement à distance, et en l’honneur de la communauté, de la résilience et de la créativité qui ont été la force directrice derrière, voici quelques images des coulisses de #Loran2021.

They are really looking at you as a person, not just your grades and how many volunteer hours you have, and what you might be on paper," Amelia Spacek says, on what piqued her interest in applying to Loran. "They’re looking at what kind of person you are, what kind of service you’re doing for your community and volunteering, but then also why you are doing that." Thank you to Sootoday.com for this interview with Amelia, who joins the #Loran2021 class:

J’ai encore de la difficulté à y croire, c’est un grand honneur pour moi de faire partie des Boursiers Loran 2021 ! Je suis plus qu’impatiente de pouvoir prendre part à cette aventure et de profiter de tout ce qu’elle a à m’offrir , dit Laurence. Bienvenue à Laurence Breton, Boursière Loran 2021 ! https://www.cegeplevis.ca//laurence-breton-fait-partie-de/ #Loran2021

The first Loran Scholar from the Beaufort Delta, Kyran Alikamik says, "I see myself coming back up North [to help] students here in the North realize there are so many paths available for them to take." Learn more about Kyran's story in CBC North: https://bit.ly/3stUJTk. #Loran2021

Félicitations à Pénélope Fernandez-Busto ! Étudiante au Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf, elle est une Boursière Loran 2021 : https://www.facebook.com/collegebrebeuf/posts/3710636322338069. #Loran2021

Ahead of International Volunteer Day, we'd like to recognize the collective impact of the many people who support current and future Loran Scholars, including those in the midst of our 2020-2021 selections. In a year that led us to reimagine our interview process, we feel especially grateful for our network of experienced volunteers who made the transition happen so smoothly. Thank you to all those who spot sparks of potential, who give this opportunity to young people year after year, and who nurture Loran Scholars throughout their journeys. #IVD2020 #LivingLoran

Deloitte's #Fast50CA recognizes the innovation, leadership, and growth of Canadian tech companies. We're delighted to spot FundThrough, led by Steven Uster (Loran Scholar '97), and InputHealth, led by Damon Ramsey (Loran Scholar '04), on this list. Congratulations to both teams!

Marin MacLeod (Young Fund Loran Scholar '09) shares three practices that guide her in taking #risksforgood as a leader via ThriveHire:

Lydia Hardy (Johnston Loran Scholar '20) shares what it was like being selected as a Loran Scholar, what the opportunity means to her, and why she's excited to be studying at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Thank you, MUN! https://gazette.mun.ca/student-/integrity-courage-and-grit/

We salute our colleagues in the non-profit sector on Giving Tuesday and everyday. Amidst the difficulties of 2020, Canada's charities and community organizations have filled a critical gap to support those most in need. #GivingTuesdayCA is a reminder that for these organizations to continue doing good work, it takes the generosity and commitment of donors and volunteers. Today only, CanadaHelps is increasing your impact by adding an extra $2 to donations of $20 or more: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/givingtuesday/.

When you support Loran with your dollars and time, your impact is amplified through a community of service-minded people. If you haven't already, we invite you to read our 2020 annual report and join our ongoing work. Thank you to all who share our belief that building a better future for us all starts with our young people! #GivingTuesdayCA Annual report: https://loranscholar.ca//2020/11/Loran_AnnualReport2020_We Join us: https://loranscholar.ca/donate/... Rapport annuel : https://loranscholar.ca//11/Loran_AnnualReport2020-FR_Web. Rejoignez-nous : https://www.boursierloran.ca/contribuer/

Somaya Amiri (McCall MacBain Loran Scholar '15) has started a podcast! Somaya and her co-host Sara Cardona are exploring their journeys through storytelling to show fellow racialized women that they are not alone in starting a new life in a foreign country. Listen to Sugar & Spice: https://open.spotify.com/show/2zfQwyjlcEihNqwPwlVwvB.

Congratulations to Charles Larson (W. Garfield Weston Loran Scholar '03) on being named one of Edify Edmonton's Top 40 Under 40! A pediatric cardiac intensivist, Dr. Larson and his University of Alberta team shifted their focus at the height of the pandemic to design and 3D print face shields. Learn more: https://edifyedmonton.com/people/top-40//dr-charles-larson/.

#LivingLoran | Tanya Neumeyer (W. Garfield Weston Loran Scholar '01) is a spoken word artist, educator, and LGBTQ2S advocate committed to access and equity. Reflecting on the events of this past year, they share what has tethered them to hope in an unsettling time: "Uncertainty is the water we're swimming in but what we know for sure is that isolation is an outcome of this pandemic. We can take care and give each other hope by reaching out and community building. I've been hosting poetry events and workshops online since March 14th in an effort to connect the communities I’m part of and I’ve found that it’s an antidote to the times we’re living in. These moments of connection keep us swimming through uncertainty."

Grace McKenzie (W. Garfield Weston Loran Scholar '11) is featured in The New York Times article below. A player with the Golden Gate Women’s Rugby Club, Grace launched a petition this summer to keep rugby open to trans women athletes (https://change.org/p/world-rugby-keep-rugby-open-to-trans-w) in response to World Rugby's then-proposed ban. https://www.nytimes.com//world-rugby-transgender-women.htm