Celebrating a special cohort of Lester B. Pearson Scholars

The Pearson Scholars graduating class for 2024.

The Lester B. Pearson Scholars graduation reception was just a little extra celebratory this year. The Class of 2024 was the cohort most affected by COVID-19, with pandemic shutdowns overlapping with half the time they should have spent on campus. During the June 17 reception, many speakers lauded the 37 graduating Pearson Scholars for their perseverance and the close bonds they forged despite being dispersed across the globe for much of their studies. 

“Your journey at the university began in so much uncertainty, but you have never allowed that to stop you from forming strong connections with each other,” said event emcee Shraddha Prasad, U of T’s associate director, international student experience and global fluency. “It has been such a pleasure to watch your growth through your time at the university! The Pearson Scholars program continues to evolve thanks to your legacies.” 

The Pearson Scholarships are the university’s most prestigious and competitive international scholarships. Boosted by donor support, the awards cover tuition, books, incidental fees and full residence support for four years for some three-dozen undergraduate students. This year’s graduates hail from Brazil, India, Kenya, Malaysia, Thailand, the U.K., the U.S. and Uzbekistan, among other countries. Their interests are just as diverse, ranging from life sciences, literature and computer science to economics, languages and statistics.  

Rahima Kamal, a psychology and entrepreneurship student from Pakistan, addressed her fellow Pearson Scholars. “For me, you were my first university friends because U of T provided opportunities to connect and learn about each other, even when we were in different parts of the world,” she said. “The Lester B. Pearson Scholarship not only gave us a launchpad to start our journey and pursue education at one of the world’s top universities, but it also gave us the opportunity to be part of a community of like-minded people.” 

It is a community that will remain connected even as the Pearson Scholars follow their individual paths. Some are staying in Canada, such as Kamal who is working with Bell Canada in customer experience and marketing, and Krish Sanghvi, from India, who is moving on to PIMCO Canada, an investment firm. Others are continuing their studies abroad, including Sapolnach Prompiengchai from Thailand, who is set to enter Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, and Claire Love Parish, who is going home to the United States to attend Harvard Law School. 

In addition to their ongoing connections to each other, the graduating Pearson Scholars now join a worldwide community of 700,000 U of T graduates. Barbara Dick, the university’s assistant vice-president of alumni relations, congratulated the scholars on their achievement and welcomed them as new alumni. “Pearson Scholars occupy a special place within our international alumni community. You are leading global ambassadors for the university and living proof of the portability of a U of T degree.” 

Joseph Wong, U of T’s vice-president, international, left the Pearson Scholars with valuable parting thoughts, including the need to continually challenge themselves. “Summon the same courage that got you here in the first place, and use it continue to think hard about the world and endure the many pains and challenges that come with being truly curious,” said Wong. “This means that you make yourself vulnerable and challenge the prevailing ways in which you are thinking.”