Bolton student receives $2,000 academic scholarship

October 18, 2018 · 0 Comments

Written By Joshua Santos

Richard Naso received a $2,000 scholarship through the family scholarship program. It is presented to students entering their first year of a full-time degree or diploma program at a recognized Canadian university or college.

“When I first found out that I had won this award, I was ecstatic! It felt amazing to be recognized for all of my hard work, especially in a way where I was able to highlight the differences that I made in my school community, said Naso.

St. Michael (Catholic Secondary School) was my home for the past four years, and when I got involved, I was always looking for a way to give back to the community. I personally place a large emphasis on education in the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and I knew that my legacy at the school should be defined by that. So, when I was recognized by someone from outside the school community, I felt proud knowing that my past activities and leadership roles have been acknowledged, especially by a company such as LifeLabs.”

Lifelabs has been serving the healthcare needs of Canadians for more than 50 years. They perform more than 100 million laboratory tests each year, helping healthcare providers diagnose, treat, monitor and prevent disease in patients.

Naso was one of the 11 students who received a scholarship from the company. Recipients are chosen anonymously by a team of Lifelabs volunteers based on an application outlining how they exemplify Lifelabs’ values of caring, knowledge and action through leadership skills, extracurricular activities, volunteering and employment activity throughout their high school years, according to a news release.

He received the award for demonstrating strong academic and leadership capabilities through his involvement with St. Michael’s A.V. Club and by organizing the institutions’ first ever STEM club. Naso developed a love and passion for science at a young age.

“I think that I was interested in science for as long as I can remember. In Grade 9 I began to research jobs in the STEM field, and here I am today actively studying at one of the best Engineering Universities in the world,” said Naso.

He will study engineering at the University of Toronto with a goal to obtain a PHD in engineering.

“In a perfect world, I would love to be designing rockets for major aerospace companies across the globe. I believe space travel is something to seriously invest in and I really hope to be a part of the new space race to Mars and beyond,” said Naso.

Naso unwinds by browsing the internet. He says he tries to stay updated with everything that’s going on in the world even if it ends up stressing him out. He also likes to listen to music, play video games with friends when he has time and cheers on Toronto’s hockey and baseball teams.