Michael K.

Biography

Michael Kohlman attended St. Francis High School. Michael is so honoured and incredibly thankful to have been named a 2020 Schulich Leader at the University of Calgary. This is by far his top achievement and it's something he is still in awe about. Becoming an executive for his high school's largest club, the St. Francis Volunteer Club was a great experience and something he's very proud of being admitted into the university with a 97 per cent average and having the second highest academic average in his school in Grade 11. Growing up in Calgary, Michael spent a lot of time at the University of Calgary at various summer camps and sports programs. It has always felt like home to him and that's why it was his first and only choice for university. The University of Calgary has a very prestigious engineering program, and services such as the Maker Multiplex that he was very excited to use.

Volunteering and staying involved in the community are important to Michael, so he was very impressed by the diverse group of over 200 clubs at the University of Calgary. His first semester was a little different than most, with everything being online due to the pandemic. However, Michael has still joined several clubs and met many awesome people, and he is looking forward to his next four years at the University of Calgary. Michael has always loved science, building things and solving complex problems, so Engineering has always felt like a natural fit.

The Schulich School of Engineering is known to be a tight-knit community and he's excited to be a part of it. Michael plans to specialize in one of civil, software, or mechanical engineering. From there, he plans to do an internship to further develop his skills in his field. Throughout Michael's career, he hopes to be a leader in the community and an active volunteer. This award has been life-changing for him. Because his tuition is covered, Michael will able to be much more involved in the university community and in volunteer initiatives. He has also had the pleasure of getting to know several other Schulich Leaders. In his first semester, Michael has already had the pleasure of meeting several awesome people and participating in multiple clubs and programs at the University of Calgary. From helping to build electric wheelchairs for children with disabilities to designing a beach house in Haiti, being a Schulich Leader has allowed him to devote more of his time towards giving back and helping other people.

He is incredibly thankful and honored to have been named a Schulich Leader, and he looks forward to taking on even greater roles in these initiatives in the future.