UM Today | Students | Schulich Scholarship recipients ready to change the world

September 1, 2022 — 

Two remarkable incoming UM students have been awarded Schulich Leader Scholarships. Rebekah Soneye, a student from Murdoch MacKay Collegiate and Marina Caracas Le-Fort from Nelson McIntyre Collegiate will be bringing their extraordinary talents to UM this fall.

Since 2012, UM has awarded Schulich Leader Scholarships to high school graduates beginning their post-secondary education in the Science, Technology, Engineering or Math (STEM) areas of study. The Schulich Leader Scholarship selects students across Canada annually, with awards valued at $80,000 and $100,000.

Rebekah Soneye

For Soneye, one introductory computer science class in high school eventually unfolded into an entire passion. Her fascination for the subject grew with every class she took and learning new aspects enthused her every day. She is now beginning her postsecondary education in computer science within the Faculty of Science, as one of this year’s two Schulich Leader Scholarship recipients at the University of Manitoba.

As a student whose only goal is to learn more about what she loves, the disparity between men and women in the field baffles her. “In my [first] computer science class, I was one of three females, and the other two dropped the class in the years that followed,” says Soneye.

This reality propelled her to make a difference. She attended many conferences and followed opportunities that set her up to advance in the field not just as an individual but also as a woman of colour. Inspired by female mentors in the industry, Soneye wants to do the same for those after her.

She started the Girls Tech Club at Murdoch MacKay Collegiate where she taught coding skills to other female students and showed them that pursuing a successful and rewarding career in computer science is achievable despite it being a male-dominated industry.

Having grown up in Nigeria before immigrating to Canada, her experiences and background offer a unique outlook on education. She sets high standards for herself and works diligently to achieve them.

Moving to a new country was a significant transition for Soneye and her whole family, yet she remained consistently excellent. She…