Ayden D.

Ayden graduated from St. Gabriel the Archangel School in Chestermere, AB. While there, he received the Highest Academic Achievement Award for grades 8-12 with a 99% average in grade 12. He became a self-taught programmer using Python, C#, Java, and more, which led him and his team to win first place in the 2020 Juniotech Virtual Hackathon. He is also a competitive summer swimmer and qualified for the ASSA 2022 and 2023 provincials for several individual long-distance events. His team won silver for a relay even in 2023.

Ayden chose UCalgary for its proximity to his home, the quality of the engineering program, and the engineering program common first year, which allows him time to decide his major.

Ayden is enrolled in the Bachelor of Science – Engineering program. He chose this program because he is interested in applying math and science to real-world situations and problem-solving. He was also interested in the many different fields available in engineering.

Ayden plans to major in Software Engineering with a minor in mechatronics, which he believes will lead to good opportunities for his future career as it will give him a background and understanding in multiple fields of engineering.

For Ayden, the Prestige Award allows him to focus on his studies and academic success without worrying about financial barriers. It also gives him access to a great network of other Schulich Leaders who can help guide him through university and beyond.

Ayden doesn’t have specific research interests currently, but he is most excited to learn about the entire software development process and how we integrate software with hardware. He wants to use this knowledge to create many exciting projects in the future.

Ayden wants to thank UCalgary for helping him open the doors to his future by awarding him this prestigious scholarship.