Meet UTM's newest Pearson Scholars

The fall 2024 back-to-school season brings with it a new cohort of Pearson Scholars. 

The Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship was created to bring exceptional students from around the world to study at one of the three University of Toronto campuses.  Individually and as a group, the incoming scholars expressed their appreciation and gratitude for the opportunity, as well as their excitement to join the U of T community. 

In their own words, here are the eight Pearson Scholars who will be going to UTM: 

Mariana Vazquez Roman 

Instituto Tecnologico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Campus Ciudad de México 

Mexico 

UTM, Life Sciences 

Hey! I’m Mariana, a passionate, active, and curious Mexican girl who loves biology. As a little kid, I would always dream about the future and the inventions I would make when I grew older. Now I understand some of what those crazy dreams were about. I discovered my passion during the pandemic; it was a time when reading and taking online courses occupied most of my time. Here, I found out about gene therapies, transgenic animals, products made out of genetically modified bacteria, etc. Since then, I knew I wanted to study something related to genetics. Later, I got the chance to enroll in the IB Higher Level Biology class. I used my new knowledge to design soy yogurt using a particular bacterial strain as well as a fibre made out of orange peel, which I am currently working on. 

I’m also a sportsperson; I like running long distances. I even completed the 2023 Mexico City marathon and have participated in several long-distance races. In addition to this, I enjoy cooking and creating new recipes using dishes from my favourite cuisines. I also love taking care of my garden here in Mexico City, the place where I live and grew up (the photo background is from my favourite spot in the neighbourhood, La Fuente de Los Coyotes, Coyoacán). 

Finally, I also enjoy learning new languages and meeting people from around the world. That is why I am extremely excited to attend U of T and meet other Pearson Scholars as well as all the talented minds that will surely come across.  

¡Nos estamos viendo! 

Abror Axrorov 

Secondary School No. 63 Samarkand 

Uzbekistan 

UTM, Computer Science, Mathematics & Statistics 

Assalomu Alaykum! My name is Abror. I was born and raised in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. I am honoured and excited to be joining the U of T community. 

I studied at a public high school in Uzbekistan, where I immersed myself in coding and math. I was the captain of the “Zakovat” intellectual club, the Uzbek version of the Russian intellectual game “What? Where? When?” I also was in my school’s soccer varsity team for four years. 

After I finished high school, I started my gap year with a summer project at the Samarkand State Institute of Architecture and Civil Engineering. I studied how air pollution changes during the day and how it’s related to the number of cars on the road. We studied the time intervals when the air pollution was at its worst. 

Recently, I have been engaged in several mentorship activities in local communities as well: I have been serving as a mentor in English language at Westminster Academy Samarkand; I helped beginners to learn Python programming language during IT Park competitions last summer; and I volunteered at Uzbekistan’s ICTWEEK to share my knowledge about technology and help government and business leaders from around the world. 

I hope to spend the following years in pursuit of knowledge and growth. I am looking forward to joining the diverse community at U of T and being part of Pearson scholarship program. 

Muhammad Rayyan Mir 

Lahore Grammar School Defence DHA Phase I 

Pakistan 

UTM, Social Sciences 

At age 8, I wanted to be a writer. At age 10, that changed into filmmaking. At age 14, I knew I’d eventually play for FC Barcelona. At age 18, I want to change the world. 

Hi! My name is Rayyan Mir, and I’m from Lahore, Pakistan. 

From helping my father out at his restaurant making the best shawarmas you will ever eat, to editing videos for MMA leagues around the world, I consider myself a creative. 

However, the core foundation of all my work is the intention to bring about change for issues I am truly passionate about. I am a strong vocal advocate for the multiple communities I am a part of, and constantly strive to bring change to my surroundings. Through student-led legislative platform Sunno Pakistan, I work towards leading the change for legislative reform and learn different perspectives by being the only Asian interviewer for MIT LaunchX. 

Beyond that, as the Head Boy of my grammar school, as well as president for the model United Nations and entrepreneurial societies, I have been able to strengthen my leadership potential, with the aim of inspiring my peers and juniors to also create a positive difference in the community. 

Those close to me would tell you that I have a knack for finding beauty in the mundane. Whether it’s through buying the school cat, Luna, lunch, spending hours dissecting Notting Hill’s soundtrack, or even rambling passionately about my favourite car (and prized Hot Wheels collection), I’m sure we’ll have a lot to talk about! 

All in all, I’m extremely grateful to have gotten this incredible opportunity to pursue my dreams, and am looking forward to innovating and building alongside my fellow scholars at U of T. I will always continue to strive for positive change, becoming one step closer to changing the world. 

Muinkhon Nabiev 

Presidential School for Gifted Students Buston 

Tajikistan 

UTM, Commerce 

Hi! My name is Muinkhon, and I am from Tajikistan.

First, I want to express my deep gratitude and excitement for becoming the recipient of the Pearson international scholarship and to have the opportunity to study at one of the best universities around the world. 

Since I was a little kid, I’ve loved solving all sorts of problems and challenges.  

Whether it was Sudoku, building with Lego bricks, or tackling math questions at school. I always liked finding different ways to solve things. This interest led me to robotics. Starting with Lego robots, I learned the basics and then moved on to more advanced projects with REV Robotics.

 Eventually, I even got to compete internationally in the FIRST Global Challenge, a yearly Olympics-style robotics competition. This competition introduced me to global problems like climate change, where we used our robots to address important challenges. 

“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth.”  

– Muhammad Ali 

Inspired by this quote, my ultimate goal now is to significantly contribute to the betterment of our world, by fighting global problems, like climate change, mental health issues and hunger. Studying commerce at the University of Toronto offers an extraordinary opportunity to bring this vision to life. With the university’s helpful resources and supportive community, I’m committed to turning ideas into action and making a positive difference globally. 

In addition to my academic studies and extracurricular activities, I enjoy researching diverse topics, reading books about entrepreneurship, leadership and communication, and engaging in hobbies such as gardening, swimming and playing tennis during my free time. 

Diyorbek Nomozov 

Target International School 

Uzbekistan 

UTM, Computer Science, Mathematics & Statistics 

My name is Diyorbek, and I am from Navoi, Uzbekistan. I am honoured to have a chance to study Computer Science at UTM. 

As a kid who grew up in Navoi, an industrial city in my country, I always saw hard-working people rushing to their jobs either at fortune-making factories or fame-gaining government jobs. 

Being surrounded by such a community led me to become a part of the youth union in my city. As a youth president of Navoi City, I organized events, marathons, and fairs for over 21 schools while representing Navoi at summits. 

Later, as a 16-year-old kid, I went to an internship at the Navoi Mining and Metallurgical Company, the world’s fourth largest gold-producing company.

Knocked down by hardships and poor working conditions, I decided to dedicate myself to finding possible solutions to the problem. 

I believe that my journey will be a valuable background for my further goals in undergraduate education. The Lester B. Pearson scholarship is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me, and I am eternally grateful to have it. I am thrilled and extremely privileged to join the Pearson Scholar community. 

Moosa Usman Saeed 

Lahore Grammar School, Johar Town 

Pakistan 

UTM, Life Sciences 

Hi! My name is Moosa Usman Saeed, and I am an A-Level student from Lahore, Pakistan. 

As a person obsessed with wave-particle duality, let me use the Plutchik Wheel of Emotions colours (photons of different wavelengths) to introduce myself. 

I love to tackle Rubik’s Cubes in my spare time, lighting my life up in (orange) anticipation when considering the 43×1018 possibilities to solve it in less than 20 seconds. 

I enjoyed immense euphoria when I managed Innoventions, a national-level science Olympiad, navigating through the yellows of creating new questions, managing sponsors, and organizing a game night. 

While shining ultraviolet rays onto the microarray, I researched selective toxicity in cancer cells and the prevalence of the HCV Virus in conjunction with other diseases, exploring amazement (blue) at the promising results of my hypothesis. 

I combat the purplish boredom by building Legos or explaining quantum mechanics with the use of simple bar charts.  

My awe (sea-green) and interest (peach) in the miracle called life, as well as my rage (red) at the inequalities, have often led me to venture and volunteer to enact change for the underprivileged and special people. 

The sadness I feel due to the disparity between the provision of medical facilities has fuelled my (golden) purpose to amalgamate biology and technology to redefine healthcare safeguards, ensuring the security of every heartbeat. 

With that, I am extremely thankful to be chosen as a Lester B. Pearson Scholar and aim to explore the range of colours U of T provides. I hope to meet all of you this fall. 

Johan Varghese Sajan 

Fahaheel Al-Watanieh Indian Private School 

Indian student studying in Kuwait 

UTM, Social Sciences 

Greetings! It is with absolute elation that I introduce myself as one of the latest additions to the Pearson Scholars community. My name is Johan, and I trace my roots to Kerala, in India, as well as the boiling Middle Eastern country of Kuwait. 

As a thorough enthusiast of all things global, I find myself frequenting the international relations scene often. With a marked passion for government and economics and the various nuances of their intersection, I’m constantly driven to equip my academia to best serve the community extending around the world. It was in this context that I rose to hone my leadership in a manner to give effect to my causes. Blossoming in school, I was elected Head Boy for an unbroken record of three times while simultaneously building and launching the largest national model UN conference. These foundations further aided my independent efforts to collaborate with reputable NGOs such as Hidden Voices and Save Our Souls Village, wherein I worked to provide quality education to the underprivileged. However, extending beyond my academic reverie is my off-hand love for piano and a piqued interest in debate, public speaking, and writing, and I have secured international accolades for these. Cricket, the outdoors, and classical music (old soul here) are my go-to relaxants. 

Ice-breakers aside, I am honoured to be a recipient of this award and equally thrilled to make the University of Toronto my alma mater. I aspire for U of T to be a steppingstone to enhance my ability to impact the ever-shrinking world around me, while striving to be a student they pride in. 

Aaliyan Shaikh 

Karachi American School 

Pakistan 

UTM, Commerce 

Hello everyone! My name is Aaliyan Shaikh, and I am from a metropolitan city in Pakistan that has an array of unique opportunities, distinct cultures and rich traditions embedded in the local community. As a trilingual person who specializes in English, French and Urdu, I am keen on providing diverse perspectives to the vibrant community at U of T. 

In the pursuit of receiving my education from the Karachi American School, which gave me the privilege of a quality education and a platform to shape my future goals, my journey wasn’t possible without the support of my family, teachers, and peers, who stood with me at all times. With my passion to create an inclusive environment, I led a social-emotional learning program at my school, which gave each student a chance to reflect on their academic journey and share more aspects of their personal identity. 

I have spent my time in different charitable organizations raising awareness for education, providing peer tutoring in subjects ranging from accounting to the basic principles of business management, and giving full academic support to orphans and children with special needs. As an independent student writer, I have marketed and proposed ways of fostering sustainable growth in the face of the socio-economic challenges of developed and developing nations. I am honoured to have been awarded the Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship. With this incredible opportunity, I am motivated to form a link between education and a successful future for others through UTM’s commerce program. Just as education opened different pathways for me, I will place my full effort into opening those doors for the upcoming youth as well. 

Read the full list of incoming Pearson Scholars.