The Loran Award offers students a $8,000 living stipend and a tuition waiver of the same amount per year for four years of undergraduate study at a Canadian university. It also provides access to summer programming and other enriching programs such as the Mentorship program that Jin plans to attend this summer where past award winners, alumni and volunteers act as mentors and advisors, sharing their experiences and networks.

Winning the Loran Award has opened a lot of doors for Jin, who was born in China, and she plans to use it to attend either McGill University in Montreal or McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont.

“McGill University was only a distant dream before this; Loran has made it into a reality for me,” said Jin.

Jin has been working with marginalized youth and families in the GTA since 2002. She first started with the “Leading to Reading” program at her local library, a program that encourages children to improve their reading and homework skills. She has also joined Youth Assisting Youth, a program similar to Big Brother/Sister, as well as participating in fundraising for Eva’s Initiatives and Pheonix that operates shelters for homeless and at-risk youth.

“In her own quiet and unassuming way Ellie touches people’s lives. A lot of her volunteer work in the community has been completed without Ellie seeking recognition,” said Anne Carey, Jin’s guidance counsellor. “She is a very worthy scholarship recipient.”

“I felt a need to reach out to people around me; they remind me very much of myself only a couple of years ago,” said Jin. “When my family first came to Canada, we experienced a lot of hardship.”

In one way, Jin’s volunteer work has been her way of saying thanks for the support she and her family received from Canada’s social services when they first arrived in 2002. The family struggled to adapt to its new surroundings.

“During that time we received much support from social organizations, and I feel that they really propelled me to where I am today,” said Jin.

“Always take part in what you feel is necessary in support of your passion,” said Jin, when asked for advice on how to emulate her success.

“One cannot accomplish extraordinary things, but only ordinary things with extraordinary passion.”

Jin said working with marginalized families has helped her realize her love of working with people and has opened her eyes to the many marginalized families that need help. It has inspired her to pursue the field of psychiatry in the hopes of continuing to help others.

(Buosi, 17, is a Grade 12 student at St. Augustine Secondary School in Brampton, Ont.)