UWaterloo's Nathan Duarte (BASc'21) is named a McCall MacBain Scholarship finalist

University of Waterloo student Nathan Duarte (BASc'21) has been named a finalist for the inaugural McCall MacBain Scholarships, Canada’s first comprehensive leadership-based scholarship for master’s and professional studies.

The scholarship enables students to pursue a fully funded master’s or professional degree at McGill University while connecting with mentors and participating in an intensive leadership development program.

Nathan will join 49 Canadian peers from 28 universities at virtual final interviews from March 11 to 13, 2021. He will participate in interviews with Canadian leaders from academia, business, government, and the social sector.

Over 735 people applied for the McCall MacBain Scholarships, and 132 participated in regional interviews with local leaders in November before the 50 finalists were selected. Up to 20 McCall MacBain Scholars will be chosen after final interviews.

Finalists were chosen based on their character, community engagement, leadership potential, entrepreneurial spirit, academic strength, and intellectual curiosity.

Nathan co-founded UW's biotechnology and bioengineering conference in 2016 and subsequently grew it to a 500-person event. He led the management consulting student club and served as the academic representative for his program cohort. This year, he joined his mentor in building SeroTracker, a platform visualizing COVID-19 antibody test results, and led the team’s efforts to track approximately 1,600 employers’ responses to the pandemic. Nathan spent his summers working in research, hardware engineering, and consulting. He hopes to pursue a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering at McGill.

Nathan describes his volunteer commitments as "a rewarding way to build and strengthen communities, learn, and make new friends." He adds, "I’m excited to explore how I can continue giving back, through existing or yet-to-be-formed mechanisms, and inspire others to do the same."

“There is no typical McCall MacBain Scholar,” said Natasha Sawh, Dean of the McCall MacBain Scholarships. “We look for potential in students from all walks of life, with different academic and volunteer interests. What unites them is the inner drive to learn, lead, and make a positive impact in other people’s lives.”

The chosen McCall MacBain Scholars will receive funding equivalent to 100% of their tuition, as well as a living stipend of $2,000 per month during academic terms. They will also be paired with mentors and participate in an interdisciplinary leadership development program.

Finalists who are not selected as McCall MacBain Scholars will be eligible for a $10,000 entrance award for their studies at McGill University.

This year, the McCall MacBain Scholarships program also granted 28 awards of $5,000 each to promising candidates who distinguished themselves at regional interviews. Two students from University of Waterloo were offered regional awards for their graduate studies at any public university in Canada.

The scholarships are the result of the 2019 landmark gift of $200 million (Canadian), the single-largest gift in Canadian history at that time, by John and Marcy McCall MacBain. The McCall MacBain Scholarships will expand internationally over the next decade, with nearly 300 McCall MacBain Scholars selected by 2030.

UPDATE: Nathan was named a McCall MacBain Scholars recipient, among 20 Canadians! Read more about the story.