Vamanadev Upendra Hiralall, the 2017 best performing Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) student, has been awarded the Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship to pursue studies in the Faculty of Arts and Science at the University of Toronto, his alma mater the Saraswati Vidya Niketan (SVN) has announced.
In a statement on the award, the privately-run SVN said Hiralall numbers among only 40 international students who have been selected for the award, which is named after a former Canadian prime minister.
Hiralall intends to major in Biochemistry.
“Mr. Hiralall has been one of SVN’s most consistent top performers and in 2015 was one of the school’s two students to top CSEC in Guyana, with 19 Grade one passes and one Grade Two pass. He continued his studies with CAPE at SVN and gained 13 Grade One and three Grade Two passes and was SVN’s 2017 best performing CAPE student,” the SVN statement noted.
It explained that while Hiralall was given a spot to pursue medicine at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, he felt he had a good chance to compete for international scholarships. As a result, he was awarded a number of scholarships, but he has opted for the Lester Pearson Scholarship instead.
The statement added that Hiralall has been an exemplary student in terms of his singular commitment to his academic work while it also noted that he has also made time to volunteer for the SEVAK International Project, which is a community-based health venture aimed at creating awareness in diabetes and hypertension.
The statement said the principal, faculty and students of SVN join in congratulating Hiralall on the scholarship and wished him success in his studies.
