Headline News

Local student aiming for the stars

May 23, 2023

By Bill Kilpatrick

When Grade 12 North Hastings High School student Qwin Goodwin woke up on May 3 the first thing he did was check his email, as he does every morning, but this morning was one that he would not soon forget. When Goodwin opened his email he saw that he had been chosen to receive the Schulich Leader Award scholarship from Queen’s University. “Disbelief” and “floored” were the words that Goodwin used to describe his feelings when he saw the email and, after a few seconds of shock, he immediately jumped out of bed to share the news with his family. His father Brian said that Qwin was vibrating he was so excited, and he just gave him a big hug and told him how proud he was of him.
The Schulich Leader scholarship was established in 2012 by Seymour Schulich, a Canadian entrepreneur and philanthropist, and, according to Queen’s University’s office of the registrar, is “awarded on the basis of academic excellence, leadership, charisma, and creativity to entrepreneurial-minded students entering first year of Schulich eligible Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics degree programs.” There are two separate awards that are given, one for Bachelor of Applied Science and Batchelor of Science, Goodwin won the former (applied) which means he receives $120,000 over 4 years, or $30,000 per year.
While Goodwin used the word “disbelief” to describe how he felt when he found out that he won, those is not the words that his teachers would use to describe his suitability for the award. For Janet Beauchamp, one of the teachers that wrote one of his recommendation letters, it was very believable that Goodwin won. Beauchamp describes Goodwin as a “diligent,” “responsible,” and “insightful” student who “…is a genuine young man with an incredible work ethic and a great sense of humour!” For Jenny Burbidge, another teacher who wrote a recommendation letter, Goodwin was the “perfect candidate” for the Schulich scholarship. She went on to describe him as the “kind of student that works hard at everything he does,” adding that he is not afraid to “put himself out there.” She went on to say that “He is not only a leader in the classroom, but also around the school. If you give Qwin a task, it will get done and done to the best of his ability.”
Goodwin’s hard work has resulted in extremely high grades, but he is also active within the school community and the community at large. Goodwin is the co-prime minister of the North Hastings high school student council and has assisted in running many activities such as semi-formals, assemblies, spirit weeks, and holiday celebrations. Goodwin also volunteers in the youth class at the Snow Tigers martial arts club where he trains and will be tested for his brown belt in June. He is also a volunteer at the Youth Advisory board which operates out of the YOURSPACE building in the former Club 580 across from Millennium Park. On top of all of his other commitments Goodwin also has a part-time job at The Granite. Up until last year Goodwin also participated in track and field, but the academic workload and other obligations forced him to choose between priorities.
Goodwin’s volunteerism and work ethic, combined with his interests in space, science and math made him an ideal candidate for this scholarship. One of the essays that he had to write for the scholarship was on where he saw himself in ten years and he is truly aiming for the stars: aerospace engineering. His dream job is to one day work for the Canadian Space Agency or a similar private company. In the meantime, he is looking to get involved in the Queen’s community and focus on his martial arts and his studies. Goodwin said that he wants to thank all of his teachers for everything they have done for him, but especially wanted to thank his parents for their continuing support, encouragement, and love.