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Undergraduate Applications Up 12%; Graduate Applications Up 14%
When these students arrive on one of York's three campuses this fall to join a 10,500-strong first-year class, they will have chosen from an array of programs that meet their interests and the demands of the labour market. Among the new students at York, who hail from more than 150 countries, are:
Sobia, Sadia, and Naveen Khwaja, 17, are non-identical triplet sisters who were born in Pakistan and schooled in Saudi Arabia. Now living in Mississauga, Ontario, the academically excellent students (grades ranging from 86 to 95 per cent) will be studying Computer Science. They have all earned York University Entrance scholarships, ranging from $2,000 to $4,000.
G'abor Luk'acs, 16, is ready to tackle a Ph.D in mathematics at York University. Luk'acs, who was born in Budapest, Hungary and immigrated at age eight to Israel, completed his B.A. and Master's Degree in pure mathematics at the Israel Institute of Technology (Technion). Fluent in Hungarian and Hebrew, his passion for numbers began at an early age.
"My interest in mathematics grew out of arithmetic games that I played with my father starting when I was age four," said Luk'acs. "When I was 11, I decided that I wanted to be a mathematician. Mathematics is unique among the sciences in that the mathematician's laboratory is within his mind -- all a mathematician needs is a pencil and a piece of paper. York's Department of Mathematics and Statistics' strength in algebra, my favourite interest, should provide me with an opportunity to learn new material and explore other branches in math," he said.
Andrei Mirochnitchenko, a 17-year-old Russian native, completed high school when he was only 13. Self-taught, Mirochnitchenko attended the Moscow Institute of Economics and Statistics, Moscow State University of Economics and Technical University of Moscow. Now residing in Toronto (North York), Mirochnitchenko will be studying computer science in York's Faculty of Pure and Applied Science.
1999 Awards of Distinction recipients:
York University's most prestigious scholarships, awarded to students with outstanding academic records and accomplishments in community service, leadership, the arts, or sports, are valued at $8,000 per annum. They are renewable for up to four years of undergraduate study, and also include the cost of first-year residence (approximately $4,000).
(John S. Proctor Scholarship recipient)
Co-founder of the Harriet Tubman Youth Club, an organization that aims to empower black youth in the Jane-Finch community, Lake has served as a motivational speaker for the African Heritage Educators Network. He has been actively involved as an editor and writer with the Young People's Press and the Jamaican Weekly Gleaner. One of his referees described Lake as "one of the outstanding graduates in Westview's history, a student whose commitment to personal excellence is matched by a sincere, unselfish and unwavering dedication to the betterment of his community and society."
Said Lake, who immigrated from Kingston, Jamaica in 1993 and now lives in the Jane/Finch area: "I want to ensure that no one is throwing out a steak dinner while others are dying of hunger. My long-term goal is to use my life as a vehicle through which the lives of those less fortunate will be made better. I believe that an education, which allows me to fully understand people and the economy, will greatly aid me in the attainment of my goal."
Lake, who will be joining York's Schulich School of Business this fall, has also been twice named to North York's Champion Athletic Achievement circle, and has earned four silver medals in sprint and relay events at provincial track and field competitions.
(Betty Jean and John M. Bankes Entrance Scholarship recipient)
Palikarova, who has Spinal Muscular Atrophy and is restricted to a wheelchair, came to Canada with her mother in 1983 from Varna, Bulgaria. She is an active spokesperson for the Muscular Dystrophy Association of Canada, and a member of several choirs in the Dartmouth area. She has acted in school plays and worked with the Neptune Youth Theatre, including as assistant stage manager. She is fluent in English, Bulgarian and Polish. Referees marvelled at the breadth of her academic achievements and depth of her character, pointing to her leadership qualities and humanitarianism. "The depth of this young woman's talents amazes everyone who knows her. Stella knows how to reach beyond the confinements of her wheelchair with a zest that embraces life."
Said Palikarova, who will be joining York's Cultural Studies Program in the Faculty of Fine Arts, "My physical limitations have never been an obstacle to achieving my goals and maintaining a positive attitude. I have always had a great passion for writing and have an unharnessed love for music and theatre, which I best express through performance -- acting and singing. York's program will permit me to take a wide range of courses without restricting myself to only one or two general areas."
(Alumni Award of Distinction)
"I am a writer; I've been writing all my life, and I couldn't be happy if I wasn't writing," said Crewe. "I chose York as my university because of its Creative Writing program. Being able to write isn't enough: you have to have something to write about. I'm sure the many courses in humanities, English, history, and philosophy, will give me more than enough inspiration," she said.
Among her community leadership roles, Crewe has served as Secretary of Riverdale Against Discrimination, been a leading organizer for Women's Remembrance Day candlelight vigils, and Black Heritage Month. A member of her school's swim and synchronized swimming teams, she won two MVP awards. She writes for the school newspaper and acts as a tutor. Crewe, who is joining York's Faculty of Arts, hopes to pursue a career as an elementary school teacher.
(Alumni Award of Distinction)
Born in Toronto, his honours and distinctions include the National Latin Exam
Gold Medal, the Provincial Latin Oral Reading championship, the Provincial
Armenian Creative Writing competition and various other public speaking and
debating championships.
Keuroghlian has also served as an actor and dancer. He has participated in the Clinical Psychological Research Mentorship program at the University of Toronto and tutored younger students in languages and sciences. Keuroghlian volunteers for numerous organizations, including the Sunnybrook Health Science Centre (where he spends time cheering military veterans with cognitive disorders) and the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
"I chose York University's Faculty of Pure & Applied Science because I wish to study science and biology in preparation for medical school while continuing to pursue studies in philosophy, German and dance, which York's unique system of interdisciplinary study would permit me to do," said Keuroghlian. "York's Faculty of Pure & Applied Science is in the midst of great expansion and development, making for a dynamic environment in which leadership opportunities must surely abound."
Said York University President Dr. Lorna Marsden "We look forward to welcoming such an academically talented and community-minded group of students this fall. They will make a valuable contribution to the high calibre of scholarly activity and breadth of community leadership at York University, and will be a source of much inspiration for their peers and professors alike."
York, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary from March 26, 1999 to March 26, 2000, is Canada's third-largest university with 40,000 full and part-time students and 150,000 alumni strong. It is nationally and internationally respected for its innovative research and award-winning teaching. With its combination of dedicated and talented faculty, opportunities for bright and ambitious students, dynamic curriculum and modern campuses in one of North America's most influential urban centres, York University is setting the modern standard in academic excellence.
For more information, please contact:
Sine MacKinnon
Ken Turriff |
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