Vaughan Secondary School grad lands LifeLabs scholarship

Yorkregion.com
Aug. 27, 2016
By Adam Martin-Robbins

A Vaughan Secondary School graduate is heading to university with some extra cash in his pockets.

Maitrik Shah, 18, landed a $2,000 scholarship from LifeLabs, to help offset the cost of studying business at McMaster University.

He was among 10 award recipients from Ontario and British Columbia, who received support from the firm, which offers scholarships to employees’ children entering their first year of a full-time degree or diploma program at a recognized Canadian university or college.

Shah’s mother, Chetna, is a human resources coordinator at the company’s Mississauga lab.

He netted the scholarship based on his 85 per cent academic average, leadership abilities, extracurricular activities, and “a very well-written essay,” according to a LifeLabs spokesperson.

Shah said he played one season on the school’s powerhouse basketball team, but gave it up when his grades began to slip a bit.

He was also a founding member of Vaughan Secondary’s rugby team, playing for two seasons and joined the school’s DECA chapter, which takes part in national and international business competitions.

Outside of school, Shah has worked as a swimming instructor and basketball coach as well as volunteering with Towards Ahimsa, a non-profit organization that promotes principles of non-violence.

Shah offers this advice to future high school graduates hoping to pursue a post-secondary education:

“Get involved in more than just one thing, more than just school,” he said. “Really get to know a lot of good people. Make yourself a network of people that will help you become a better person overall and help you see where you’re going.”