April 4, 2011

A Surrey student has been named to the Team Canada of science.

Semiahmoo Secondary International Baccalaureate student Nick Johnston is one of only two British Columbians selected by Youth Science Canada to represent the country at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair May 8 to 13 in Los Angeles, California. The Intel ISEF is the world’s largest science fair.

“We’re extremely proud of Nick. His advanced work on computer-aided telepathic communications is nothing short of amazing and it obviously caught the eyes of the Youth Science Canada selection panel,” said Lynne Porpaczy, coordinator of Semiahmoo’s International Baccalaureate (IB) and Gifted Program. Nick also won a bronze medal and $1,000 scholarship at last year’s national science fair.

The two-year IB program, which is both accelerated and enriched with an emphasis on global citizenship, hasa lengthy track record of providing public school students in Surrey with exceptional international opportunities in our current highly competitive university admission process:

• 2009 IB grad Marcia Kishida won the prestigious Fletcher Exhibitioner scholarship in biology at Oxford University this year;
• IB diploma students Pradeep Venkatesh and Chriantha Pramathilaka will compete in the Senior National Debate Championships in Halifax April 14 to 17;
• IB diploma students Vanessa Zhang, Steven Song, Cheng Hao Yuan, Jack Shi, Sangho Kim, Franky Chen, Henry Lu, Jenny Chien, Debby Chen and Tracy Wang won the UBC Physics Olympics;
• Nine Semiahmoo students have won regional gold to earn a place at the Canada-wide Science Fair; and
• In the last five years, Semiahmoo’s IB diploma grads received acceptances to MIT, Cambridge, Oxford, Yale, London School of Economics, Johns Hopkins, Wharton School of Business, Cornell, Parsons, Rhode Island School of Design, Carnegie Mellon, UC Berkeley and Stanford. Also, IB students have been awarded direct entry to second year at McGill and many other universities in Canada, the U.S. and U.K.

The Intel ISEF is the premier global science competition for students in Grades 9 to 12. Each year, more than 1,600 student scientists from across the globe compete for more than $4 million in awards and prizes, and are judged on their creative ability and scientific thought and thoroughness as well as the skill and clarity shown in their projects.

Nick is one of 20 student scientists on Team Canada. He aspires to become a computer engineer, but when he isn't focused on his academics, Nick enjoys swimming, ice hockey, mountain biking, running and working toward his black belt in mixed martial arts. He also has a keen interest in travel, nurtured by a trip last year to the south of France with a French exchange program, and hopes to someday visit all seven continents.

Last Updated: April 7, 2011