Every year, high schools across Canada select one student to nominate for the prestigious Schulich Leader Scholarship, which is presented by the Schulich Foundation. From the 1,500 nominees selected out of a pool of more than 300,000 candidates, up to 100 students are chosen. 

Weyburn's Arliss Sidloski is one of just 100 students across Canada to be awarded the Schulich Leader Scholarship this year. (supplied photo)To be eligible for the scholarship, students have to be enrolling in either a science, technology, engineering or math program at one of 20 partner universities in the country. Half of the scholarships are valued at $100,000 and are for engineering scholarships, while the other half ar values at $80,000 and are for science or math. 

This year, Weyburn Comprehensive School graduate Arliss Sidloski was nominated for the award as she got prepared to begin her studies at the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Engineering. Earlier this year, she got the phone call. Well, she got two phone calls. 

“I also won another big scholarship from the U of S – I won the Chancellor Entrance Scholarship, and I received info about that, and then I got another call saying I won the Schulich one, so I was literally doing cartwheels,” Sidloski laughed while telling the story to Discover Weyburn. 

Sidloski received the $100,000 scholarship from the Schulich Foundation, which will be paid out over the course of her studies at the University of Saskatchewan.  

The Foundation cited both Sidloski’s academic work and her work outside of school, as factors for why she was chosen for the award. 

“A lot of it has to do with my involvement in the School – in different extra-cur clubs, in sports, and also with my work with special needs students through Inclusion Weyburn as a job, and also through volunteering and my help with the All-Abilities program with Weyburn Soccer,” Sidloski explained. 

Sidloski is already getting a head start on her classes, signing up for the University of Saskatchewan’s Space Team, where she will help to design and prepare a satellite for launch in late 2021 – the first satellite from Saskatchewan to go into space.  

As for the classes themselves, Sidloski will be working remotely from here in Weyburn due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but she hopes to be able to attend classes in person starting in the winter semester. 

Sidloski is one of two students attending classes at the University of Saskatchewan who received the Schulich Leader Scholarship.