Carne of Westsyde Secondary wins prestigious $100,000 Schulich Leader Scholarship

KAMLOOPS — Seth Carne checked his inbox before heading into class at Westsyde Secondary and found a life-changing email from the University of Calgary.

“He was kind of standing there a little bit out of it and he had his phone in his hand and he just looked off and I was like, ‘Seth, what’s going on?’” said Julia Carlson, a teacher and scholarship co-ordinator at Westsyde.

“He was kind of shaky and he was having a hard time talking. He said, ‘I think I just won the Schulich Award.’ And I was like, ‘What?’”

High schools in Canada can nominate one graduating student each year for a Schulich Leader Scholarship.

They are among the most coveted scholarships in the country, awarded to entrepreneurial-minded graduates enrolling in a post-secondary science, technology, engineering or math program – and they’re worth a minimum of $100,000.

“I almost didn’t even believe that I had won it because it’s so insanely prestigious and so selective,” said Carne, who thanked Carlson for her crucial role in helping him snare the scholarship.

“Nothing like this has ever happened in our family and it’s just an incredible blessing.”

An extensive application process included making a video and writing essays, along with submitting information on community and school service, leadership, awards, athletic accomplishments and his 99 per cent GPA.

“It couldn’t have happened to a better person,” Carlson said. “Seth is an incredible human being – kind, humble, hardworking and a true leader within our school.”

Added Westsyde principal Domenic Comita: “Seth actually embodies everything that we want of our Westsyde students. He is humble. He cares a lot about the school and the students in it.”

Carne plans to pursue a career that allows him to share his passion for math.

“I feel like school doesn’t really get to show you the best of what the true essence of math is,” Carne said. “But when you look at it, it’s this beautiful world of relationships and patterns and how stuff seemingly unrelated just links so perfectly together. Oh, it’s beautiful.”

The $100,000 scholarship will cover tuition, books, housing and meals for Carne, the first Schulich winner in Westsyde history, which dates back to 1959.

“There are so many candidates who deserve it… so for me to be the first, it boggles the mind,” Carne said.

“When I called my mom right after I got the scholarship, I could hear the emotion in her voice. They’ve always believed in me.”