McGill Alumni Portal

Top-tier McGill students recognized with Best in the West Scholarships

McGill University is pleased to announce that 13 outstanding recipients have been selected for the prestigious 2012-13 Best in the West Scholarships.

Established four years ago through a $1-million endowed gift by Calgary residents Dr. Richard Walls, PhD’78, and Carolina J. Walls, BSc’85, the Best in the West student awards program is designed to strengthen McGill’s ability to attract and retain top undergraduate students from British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan.

The recipients of the Best in the West Scholarships in Science are: Janine Hsu, Miles Marchand, Taylor Salisbury, Cheng-yu (Mark) Tsai and Ryan Uyeno of British Columbia; Gabriela Gilmour, Xiao Tian (Tim) He and Jackie Lam of Alberta; and Thomas Yung of Saskatchewan.

In addition, second-year student Patrick Beaudry is the winner of the Best in the West Scholarship in Earth and Planetary Sciences, while Edward Mason of B.C. and Mickaela Nixon of Alta. are the beneficiaries of the JE Clark – “Best in the West” Scholarships, awarded to outstanding undergraduates who have completed at least one year of a Bachelor of Science with a Minor in Management. Marina Smailes of B.C., an entering science student, is the inaugural recipient of the new Best in the West General Scholarship.

Over 1,600 students from Western Canada receive letters of acceptance from McGill each year, but many simply can’t afford the combined costs of tuition and relocating and living in Montreal. Thanks to the Best in the West awards program, more academically qualified students are able to obtain a first-rate McGill education.

“A scholarship makes a real difference in a student’s decision to attend a leading university like McGill,” says Professor Morton J. Mendelson, Deputy Provost (Student Life & Learning). “The Best in the West awards program has an enormous impact on the lives of deserving students, and it is vital to McGill’s strength and direction for the future.”

Richard and Carolina Walls say their goal is to raise an additional $4 million in philanthropic support from fellow Western Canadian alumni and friends – enough to create another 100 scholarships for students from the west.

For more information on how you can create your own Best in the West student award or support the Best in the West General Scholarship Fund, please contact Barry Weldon, Regional Development Officer, at (514) 398-2196 or barry.weldon@mcgill.ca, or visit our website.