From around the world to UTM: Pearson scholars bring global perspectives to campus

They’ve spurred change in their communities, inspired others, created and innovated  –  and they've only just finished high school. 

Now, these eight exceptional international students will study at the University of Toronto Mississauga as part of the 2026 cohort of Lester B. Pearson International Scholars. 

The university’s most prestigious scholarship for international students, the Pearson provides full funding and recognizes academic excellence, creativity and leadership. Here are the UTM scholars' stories in their own words:

Oliver Michael Ames 

Pursuing communication, culture, information and technology

“My name is Oliver. I am from the East Coast of the United States and I am extremely honored and excited to be joining UTM this fall as a Pearson Scholar!

For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by the ways modern technology can help people thrive and enhance our communities. 

Over the past few years, I’ve enjoyed building a small technology consulting company – supporting individuals, non-profit organizations, and businesses through IT, design and coaching services. 

Outside of work and school, I love being involved with theater productions, cooking, going on adventures with friends and family and spending time in nature.” 

Maria Paula Araujo Munizaga 

Pursuing communication, culture, information and technology 

“I am María Paula Araujo Munizaga, a youth leader, motivational speaker and change-maker from Guayaquil, Ecuador. My purpose is to expand access to education and global opportunities for the next generation.

Since the age of 13, I began building my path through volunteer work, leadership programs and competitive scholarships — without realizing that these experiences were already shaping a purpose-driven profile. Today, I use that journey to empower other young people to believe in their potential, explore STEM careers and access opportunities beyond their immediate environment.

I served as president of one of the largest youth leadership schools in Latin America. I have had the opportunity to represent youth voices in international spaces such as the Women Economic Forum and have been a recipient of scholarships funded by the U.S. Embassy. I am also an ambassador for Inspiring Girls, promoting female empowerment and the participation of women in leadership and STEM.

I am the founder and director of two youth-led initiatives: Inspira+ focuses on guiding students from an early age to intentionally build their profiles through volunteering, leadership and global exposure. Youth 360 is a leadership platform designed to develop the skills, mindset and confidence young people need to become agents of change in their communities.

Through my talks, mentorship and initiatives, I have demonstrated that leadership is not defined by age, but by action.”

Muhammad Maroof Atif 

Pursuing life sciences 

“Hi! My name is Maroof Atif, and I’m from Lahore, Pakistan. I was named Maroof — meaning “popular” — by one of my three grandmothers, which is ironic for someone who lost three consecutive student council elections before finally becoming Head Boy. #NeverGiveUp 

If you’ve met Pakistanis before, you might expect chai, cricket and rom-coms. I’m a glitch in the system. I’ve never tasted chai; my caffeine loyalty is strict: extra shot, one pump vanilla, no sugar. That extra shot fuels my 3 a.m. rabbit holes — one minute I’m watching torque sensor schematics, the next I’m buried in Wikipedia pages on Roman Caesars. A single throwaway reference to “epidemiology” in a medical drama once sent me down a path that ended with completing a Johns Hopkins public health course. 

I serve as Head Boy, Patron of the Debate Society, a Science Bowl mentor and a proud friend to many. After five years of persistence, I recently won the All-Pakistan Debating Nationals, a long-held dream. Alongside this, through my initiative FOCUS Pakistan, I’ve organized pop-up clinics serving hundreds of patients daily. Through winning and coaching for the National Science Bowl, I’ve learned how to truly disseminate knowledge and mentor others. 

One slightly odd thing about me: I compulsively love maps. I map everything—public health access, biodiversity loss, debate motions — and I’ll probably end up mapping my adventures at the University of Toronto, too. When I’m not doing any of the above, I’m glued to Liverpool matches. 

At U of T, I plan to pursue biology for health sciences, alongside a geospatial data science minor, exploring how medicine, data, and maps intersect. I am truly humbled and honored to be a Lester B. Pearson Scholar and I’m excited to bring my relentless curiosity, wonky maps and slightly over-caffeinated love for learning into this remarkable community.”

Nina Dobrovodska 

Pursuing social sciences 

“Hi, my name is Nina! I come from Slovakia but have spent the last three years living in Tianjin, China. I am deeply honored to become a member of the 2026 cohort of Pearson Scholars and feel thrilled to pursue a degree in history and political science at U of T. 

At heart, I’d describe myself as a poet, enticed by the prospect of exploring and crafting meaning. Upon leaving my home country, I grew even more acutely aware of the power of words. The transition from the local to an international IB curriculum was both a challenging and eye-opening experience, exposing the limits of the education system I grew up in — a lack of discussion. I discovered that the history I was taught with objectivity is endlessly contestable and no perspective is set in stone. 

This change encouraged me to dive head-first into opportunities for discussion, whether by coaching students in the student-led organization Literacy Lab, co-leading the school’s STEM Tutoring Program, starting an Art History Club for the Elementary, translating Slovak poetry into English or co-editing a medical publication at the Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. 

Beyond academics, I am an enthusiastic football player, a theatre tech-crew manager and a beginning novel author. Together, these experiences persuaded me that writing and speaking in ways which urges others to reflect is something I’d love to continue doing in my future.

Throughout high school, the words I’ve been exposed to transformed me from a poet into an advocate, aspiring to initiate reflection and discussion where it is neglected, particularly in traditional educational systems. I cannot wait to join and contribute to UTM’s community as the next step in my journey!” 

María José Sepúlveda Calle 

Pursuing life sciences 

“Hi! My name is María, and I’m from Chitré, a small city in Panama. I’ve always loved trying to understand how things work and creating new solutions, which has led me to be involved in many research projects, most of them related to biotechnology — a field I’m deeply passionate about. 

One of my favorite experiences was creating Coral-Relief during a biotechnology hackathon, where my friends and I designed a genetic sequence to help address coral bleaching by modifying the algae responsible for giving corals their color. 

I was also a founding member of my high school’s remote sensing club, where we became the first group of high school students in Latin America to receive formal remote sensing training. As the club grew, I became a mentor to other students, helping them understand how to use satellite imagery from NASA and Copernicus to assess climate and urban related issues in our community and country, often presenting our research to local authorities.

Beyond academics, I love playing tennis, baking, painting, hiking, spending time at the beach and volunteering through my local Rotary Interact group. I also love meeting new people, so feel free to reach out or say hi if you see me around!

To everyone who has supported me throughout my journey to U of T, thank you. I would not have made it here without all of you.

Being a 2026 Lester B. Pearson Scholar is an incredible honour, and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to study a field I'm passionate about at the University of Toronto. It is truly a dream come true, and I am committed to making the most of this experience.”

Shayaan Ali Siddiqui 

Pursuing chemical and physical sciences 

“Hello! My name is Shayaan, and I believe that physics truly lives in the space between a perfect equation and a messy reality. 

Inspired by Richard Feynman’s call for "intellectual honesty," I approach STEM not just as a set of theories, but as a discipline that must account for every inconvenient variable. 

This philosophy drove me to work with STEM centers across Karachi, developing curricula for primary and elementary schools that bridge the gap between textbook physics and real-world practice. 

As an A-Level student at Karachi Grammar School and vice-president of our STEM Society, I’ve had the privilege of organizing one of Pakistan’s largest student-led Olympiads, KGSO, fostering a culture of curiosity and rigour in my community. 

When I’m not in the lab or leading a society, you can find me cycling through the streets of my city, learning every detail and pothole of my hometown to stay connected to the environment I hope to improve. 

As I begin my journey at the University of Toronto as a Pearson Scholar, I am eager to combine analytical rigor with practical innovation to solve the "inconvenient" challenges of our global future!”

Azimbek Toktogaziev 

Pursuing computer science 

“Hello everyone! My name is Azimbek, and I'm from Kyrgyzstan — and if you've never heard of it, that's kind of exactly why I do what I do.

My core principle has always been simple: if something doesn't exist — you create it. Seeing the lack of quality education resources in my country, I built an educational app that teaches English through Kyrgyz — one of the first of its kind in my country, now with over 10,000 downloads. Now I'm taking it further, building a coding education app on the same concept, because English shouldn't be the only door we open. 

This led me to found Knowledge Without Borders, a non-profit where I teach English to students completely free of charge, and to work as an editor on a teachers' guidebook. I truly believe that technology is most powerful when it opens doors for people who didn't know a door existed. 

Beyond tech and education, I enjoy football, calisthenics and chess — yes, all three, somehow. I also spend probably too much time exploring ideas in computer science, AI and psychology because understanding the human mind might be just as important as building the tools that serve it. 

Being a Pearson Scholar is an incredible honour and an acknowledgement of everyone who believed in me before I fully believed in myself — my family, mentors, teachers, and friends who taught me the importance of lifting others as we climb. 

I carry this opportunity with deep gratitude and responsibility. There’s a Kyrgyz proverb that says "acquiring knowledge is like digging a well with a needle." My whole life, I've been trying to make the well a little easier to dig. And at the University of Toronto, I intend to honour it the only way I know: by digging and bringing others along with me.

Winfeyling Kanayla Winarso 

Pursuing life sciences 

“Halo everyone! My name is Fey, and I’m from Jakarta, Indonesia.

Growing up in such an energetic and fast-paced city managed to spark my curiosity early on, which deepened when I spent four formative years in Australia at a young age. 

Since then, I've learned to accept the unfamiliar with excitement and open arms, which has shaped my academic and personal interests. 

I have always loved dance, and through it I began to appreciate the human body and its incredible capabilities, not only as something that allows us to live, play, and experience the world, but also as a system capable of healing and restoring itself when we are sick or injured. 

As a result, I went on to compete in biology Olympiads, contribute to research projects and volunteer at health screenings at my church. 

These experiences have proved to me that growth comes from curiosity, a mindset I'm eager to carry as I continue learning at UTM.”