Applied Health Sciences welcomes Schulich Leader Cindy Wei

Cindy Wei of British Columbia is one of four incoming first-year University of Waterloo students who received a Schulich Leader Scholarship, awarded for demonstrated leadership in areas such as academic excellence and entrepreneurship.

Wei joins the Kinesiology program in the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences.

Rising regularly before dawn to hit the rink in her hometown of Coquitlam, Cindy Wei is a competitive skater who attained the silver levels in both free skate and ice dance; won medals in many competitions, and performed in ice dancing shows. She gives back to that community as a CanSkate assistant coach and learn-to-skate instructor for the City of Coquitlam, where she received its first ever “instructor of the season” award. She also cross-trains in aerial gymnastics.

Wei holds executive positions in several clubs, and volunteers as a peer tutor, literacy tutor and nurse's aide for her local hospital. She’s written two children's novels and is cultivating a readership for her cooking/nutrition blog at www.cookiesnchem.wordpress.com. For Wei, landing at Waterloo will not only expand her geographic horizons (it’s her first time in Ontario), but her creative opportunities. “I ended up choosing Waterloo because it's such an innovative university and the environment there seems very welcoming. It's a place where I can be creative and develop my ideas further.”

The Schulich Leader Scholarship program awards $60,000 to undergraduate students whose focus is science, technology, engineering or math. Students also should demonstrate financial need and leadership in areas like academic excellence or business and entrepreneurship. This year’s winners fulfil the requirements, with averages ranging from 94 to 99 percent, and extracurriculars that include everything from volunteering for humanitarian organizations to participating in competitive sports.