Science student Alexanne Lapierre and engineering student Nico Couton, both recipients of a 2025 Schulich Leader Scholarship, are fired up with infectious energy and a strong desire to build a more sustainable and innovative future.
The scholarships, which are among the most prestigious in Canada in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, are awarded each year to visionary young minds who demonstrate excellence, leadership and commitment.
Passionate about life sciences and sustainable innovation
From an early age, Alexanne Lapierre has been fascinated by plants and animals. This passion led her to take all the science courses on offer in high school and to work with her family to create an aquaponic greenhouse, an entrepreneurial venture which, paired with her excellent grades and extracurricular commitment, led to her nomination for the prestigious Schulich Leader Scholarship. “I was on my bike when I got the call from the University of Ottawa’s scholarship supervisor. I was beyond excited... It wasn’t until I saw the confirmation email that I truly realized the magnitude of the news.”
Alexanne is dedicated, energetic and athletic; she describes herself as someone who loves to explore and learn. The decision to study at the University of Ottawa was a natural choice for her, not least because she wanted to stay close to her family and her animals. “My parents were students here, and the University offers the calibre of courses I was looking for to broaden my knowledge of biological systems. There are also superb cycling paths and the canal nearby.”
“My parents were students here, and the University offers the calibre of courses I was looking for to broaden my knowledge of biological systems.”
Alexanne Lapierre
— Biology student at uOttawa
Supported by her parents, whom she describes as her greatest source of motivation, Alexanne now wants to thrive on campus, meet new people and draw inspiration from the University’s greenhouse. After graduating, she would like to expand the family business and apply innovative approaches to optimize the aquaponic greenhouses.
Alexanne has this advice for the next generation of STEM students: “Love what you do and take the time you need to adapt.”
Helping others through robotics entrepreneurship
Nico Couton, who hails from Kingston, Ontario, has always been curious about how things work. Even before he entered high school, Nico had joined a LEGO Mindstorms robotics team and founded his school’s first FTC team. The STEM enthusiast also took part in math competitions, did gymnastics and taught STEM classes at the Boys and Girls Club. Those experiences introduced him to the connections between reality, mathematics and science.
“I think I got the scholarship because of my academic achievements and my initiatives, such as setting up the robotics team. When I found out I’d been selected, I was surprised and really grateful.”
Attracted by the University of Ottawa’s strong engineering programs and bilingual environment, Nico says that “the University of Ottawa stood out not only for the robotics and entrepreneurship opportunities it offers, but also because it will allow me to continue improving my French.” He sees his next few years on campus as a chance to get involved in design teams, build new projects and grow academically and personally.
“The University of Ottawa stood out not only for the robotics and entrepreneurship opportunities it offers, but also because it will allow me to continue improving my French.”
Nico Couton
— Electrical engineering student at uOttawa
Nico particularly admires Yoshua Bengio, an AI pioneer whose vision and perseverance he respects. After his studies, he hopes to develop robotic technologies that will help elderly or vulnerable individuals live more independently, and to turn that project into a business.
His advice to people interested in studying STEM subjects? “The hardest part is getting started. Once you’ve learned one concept, it becomes much easier to learn new concepts.”
Worth reading: Get Even Smarter, by Seymour Schulich
In 2006, Schulich Leader Scholarships program founder Seymour Schulich published the bestselling Get Smarter: Life and Business Lessons, offering mentorship and guidance to young people between the ages of 20 and 40. He has now written an addendum, Get Even Smarter, continuing his practice of sharing hard-earned wisdom from his multifaceted career to help others find success and fulfillment. Read it here.
