Jason Amri, a high school student from Ancaster, Ontario, is making his way to the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science with a prestigious Schulich Leader Scholarship, the largest STEM scholarship in Canada for programs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Incoming Schulich Leaders distinguish themselves through high grades, leadership roles within their communities and participation in entrepreneurial ventures. Jason was one of four recipients at Waterloo and among 50 nationwide from more than 1,400 nominees to receive this prestigious scholarship.
Jason
Amri
Ancaster,
Ontario
Computer
Science
—
$80,000
“I remember exploring the [University of Waterloo] on [Google] street-view when I was 12, dreaming that one day I’d be a student there,” says Jason Amri.
“I’ve always been drawn to Waterloo’s reputation. In my mind, no other Canadian university offers the same dedication to entrepreneurship and innovation.”
Having already started a business — Diy5, a site that helps anyone get the tools and parts they need to get started in hobby electronics — Amri continues to bring his extracurricular passion to school by leading the math, coding and maker clubs. He was also the web administrator for his school’s newspaper, an executive on his school’s DECA team, founder of their economic debate club and an elected member of student council.
“Outside of school, I like to tinker with microcontrollers and design my own circuits,” says Amri. “I’ve built tons of apps and devices over the years, really anything to satisfy my curiosity. I also try to spend time at the gym or cycling if I can.”
While Jason aspires toward a career in technology, he’s keeping an open mind to various work opportunities.
“Right now, I’m drawn to the potential in the world of FinTech and interested by our growing need for information security. I’d also like to continue to pursue entrepreneurship while in university and see where that takes me.”