A Sechelt student whose family emigrated from Syria and Jordan nine years ago has received one of Canada’s most valuable scholarships for high school graduates. Nardeen Ibrahim, who will finish studies at Chatelech Secondary School this spring, is one of only 36 students selected this year by the Loran Scholars Foundation from an initial pool of more than 6,000 applicants.
Loran Scholars benefit from a four-year, leadership enrichment program, opportunities for experiential learning, financial support throughout undergraduate studies, and a network of peers and mentors. The program is administered in partnership with 25 Canadian universities and is valued at more than $100,000 per recipient.
“I first heard about the scholarship through my counsellor and actually at the start I didn’t care much,” recalled Ibrahim. “I thought: it’s just a normal scholarship. Then I went online and researched more. One thing that caught my eye — on the last day of the application process — was all the amazing stories about Loran [alumni] who have connected with other organizations, donating money to charities across the world. I want to do that one day. I thought if I can do that, then I really want to be part of this community.”
Starting in October, Ibrahim prepared essays, video submissions and participated in Zoom interviews led by more than 500 volunteer assessors. Whether it was the online semifinals or the in-person finals last month in Toronto (at which 90 candidates arrived for intensive assessments and enrichment workshops), she said one thing was consistent: “Everyone was so positive. I’ve never met such an inclusive community. Even at semifinals on Zoom with a bunch of students from B.C., the second I clicked, everybody was smiling.”
The Loran Award identifies students who demonstrate strength of character, a deep commitment to service, and exceptional leadership potential.
Ibrahim is an enthusiastic member of Chatelech Interact Club (the youth service arm of Rotary International). Through Interact, she has contributed to bottle drives to raise money for humanitarian aid to Gaza and clothing collection to support women’s and children’s housing initiatives on the Sunshine Coast. She routinely volunteers at the Silverstone Care Centre and the Cowrie Pharmacy — responsibilities she balances with part-time employment at Coastal Crust Pizza. At school, she contributes to the leadership program, yearbook club and grad council.
Ibrahim’s work with seniors and the pharmacy — plus the support she provides to her mother who has a chronic medical condition — prompted her to choose health care as a post-secondary focus. “I definitely feel like I’ve gotten that nurturing role from my mom,” she said. “I’ve kind of taken on the role of taking care of my family and I think that’s something that I want to do in my life, whether it be through nursing, medicine or anything else.” She is applying to universities with the intent to obtain an undergraduate degree in nursing or pharmaceutical sciences.
It was in 2016 that Ibrahim, her parents and a younger sister caught their first glimpse of the Sunshine Coast from the Langdale ferry terminal. Two local churches — Crossroads Community Church of Davis Bay and Christian Life Assembly of Gibsons — helped sponsor the family for their move to Canada. “My English was horrible,” she remembered. “And at the start I felt really scared. I think that’s how it is with a lot of things when you first go into them. It was also about leaving all my family and friends behind. But after I came here and went to school, I realized how amazing everybody here was.”
She was also stunned at the number of trees. “I didn’t have that growing up,” she said. “I hated it at the start. I didn’t like being outdoors. I was more of a homebody until this year I started going out on hikes and now I love it. I absolutely feel like I have found a passion in Sechelt because of the amazing landscape we have here.”
The Loran Award program, founded in 1988, provides ongoing networking and training to empower honourees who show willingness and courage to challenge the status quo, capacity to collaborate to drive meaningful change, and dedication to uplifting their communities, whether locally or globally.
Ibrahim is one of six Loran recipients from British Columbia for 2025. A decade ago, another Sunshine Coast student — Clare Lyle of Elphinstone Secondary — was also picked as a Loran Scholar.
“I can’t thank enough people for helping me here,” added Ibrahim, “whether it comes from teachers, my principal, or people at home like my mom and my dad and my sister, and family members back home. I feel like everyone in Sechelt is so supportive of my family here that it’s been a blessing to work with everyone.”
