McGill Alumni Portal

Best in the West scholarship recipient Jackie Lam strives to help the less fortunate

The Best in the West scholarships were created as a way of helping McGill attract the best and  brightest undergraduate students from Western Canada – not only high achievers in the classroom, but students who go the extra mile to help their community and those in need.

You’d be hard pressed to find a better example than Jackie Lam, a second-year physiology student from Lethbridge, Alta., and one of this year’s recipients of the Best in the West Scholarships in Science.

When Jackie is not busy in the classroom, you might find him volunteering at Yellow Door, a McGill social service agency that connects students with local seniors who are physically or socially isolated. Or you might find him helping out in the emergency room at the Montreal General Hospital, where he works with nurses to meet the pressing needs of patients.

For Jackie, whose Best in the West scholarship helps defray the cost of tuition and living expenses, having extra time to help the disadvantaged is priceless. “I really enjoy the time I spend volunteering,” he says, “and I get as much out of it as the people who I am helping.”

The Best in the West scholarships program was established in 2008 through a $1-million gift from McGill alumni and Calgary residents Dr. Richard Walls, PhD’78, and Carolina J. Walls, BSc’85. They hope to raise an additional $4 million from fellow Western Canadian alumni and friends – enough to create another 100 scholarships for students from the west.

As for Jackie, he is considering a career in medicine down the road, but for now, he is enjoying the opportunity to fully embrace the McGill student life. “McGill a great university,” he says, “I’m happy to be here and I’m thankful for this scholarship.”

To 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.

To read a profile on Best in the West Scholarship recipient Rayven Snodgrass, click here.