One bright Grade 12 student from St. Joseph High School in Red Deer has been awarded the Schulich Leader Scholarship from the University of Victoria in the amount of $80,000. Denaisha Kraft doesn’t have any major plans for her money other than paying her tuition and enjoying her experiences at the University of Victoria pursuing a degree in chemistry without financial worry. 

“Victoria is such a beautiful city and the campus is gorgeous. The school also has many amazing programs and opportunities that I'm really excited about. They also have lots of research opportunities, so I'm definitely interested in getting involved with that if I can,” said Kraft. 

Some of previous winners of the scholarship have already connected with her but she will also be attending the school alongside her twin sister. Kraft credits her sister, family, and teachers for their support which helped guide her towards her goals. She believes a long line of inspiring teachers inspired her love of learning. 

“I think my passion for learning comes from the years of amazing teachers I've had. Over the past few years, I've had teachers that really inspired me to push for my goals. I've always loved learning things and tend to understand different problems. I definitely wouldn't be where I am today without some of them,” she explained. 

Kraft noted that she has always been drawn to math and sciences. 

“I think what draws me towards them is the problem-solving aspect. I always love facing challenges and then the scholarship definitely gives me the opportunity to tackle bigger challenges,” said Kraft. 

The Schulich Leader Scholarship is one of Canada's most coveted undergraduate STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) scholarship. Kraft won in the science and math category. Kraft was nominated for the scholarship through her school and then had to complete an academic section of her application.

“The majority of it consisted of written questions, where I reflected on some of my achievements, and highlighted different aspects about who I was. I made sure to highlight some of my academic achievements within some of the different classes I've taken but I also focused on the different things I've done and how that has inspired me to become involved and create an impact,” explained Kraft. 

Kraft doesn’t have an exact career goal in mind but she knows she wants to try and make an impact in the future. Above all, she is thankful to all of those around her who have helped her along the way. 

“I definitely wouldn’t be in this position if they weren't for my family. They do so much for me and then my school, St Joseph High School has given me so many opportunities. I'm just so grateful that the University has given me this opportunity,” she added.