SFU’s 2026 Schulich Leader Scholars pursue innovation in accessibility and data science

Sarah Ye wants to engineer assistive technologies that improve people's lives. Mya Periard hopes to use computing to uncover new insights from complex biological data. As SFU's 2026 Schulich Leader Scholars, both are taking the next step toward turning those ambitions into reality.

This fall, they begin their first year at Simon Fraser University as recipients of Canada's most coveted awards for high school graduates enrolling in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields. Ye is being awarded a $120,000 scholarship in engineering science, and Periard will receive a $100,000 scholarship toward her computing science degree.

“Since receiving this scholarship, I'm definitely more confident and have more belief in myself,” says Ye. “It makes me want to take even more opportunities as they come, and I'm really thankful for that.”

Ye traces her path back to discovering a joy in reading science textbooks while still in elementary school, before moving on to building computers and making other things with her hands.

In her final year of high school, Ye and her classmates set out to build a system for translating sign language in real time. The result was a remote-controlled car that could be steered using basic gestures including an open hand, a closed fist, and a thumbs up.

“This is such a simple project that we made as inexperienced high school students. Think about what we can make when we’ve learned more in our engineering programs,” she says. “It opened my eyes to how many things I can truly make.”

That project pointed her toward assistive technology and how AI, prosthetics, software, and even website design can address accessibility challenges.

“Most engineers tend to say, ‘I want to change the world for the better,’ but when we think that way we spread our focus too thinly,” she says. “If I can change one person's life for the better, that will make my work worth it.”

Ye says she chose SFU’s engineering science program for its flexibility and the opportunity to explore a range of applications for emerging technologies, including those related to accessibility and human-centred design.

“I'm looking forward to being able to meet new people from all different kinds of backgrounds, but most importantly, like-minded people with similar interests,” she says.

Using Data to Understand Complex Biological Systems

Periard shares Ye’s long-standing passion for science. She had an early love of dinosaurs, which evolved into a fascination with biology and living systems. Research internships at the University of Calgary and the University of Alberta then further reinforced her interest in applying computing to scientific questions.

“There’s so much we can learn when technology and biology come together,” she says.

Periard is among the first in her family to attend university and hopes to inspire others to see the world as a place full of possibilities.

“I think it’s amazing for my parents to see that their hard work has paid off, and to be a role model for my sister—she knows someone who's gone to university now,” she says.

Periard says major factors in choosing SFU included its co-op program and its strong connections to the growing bioinformatics sector. She is eager to explore how computing can be used to tackle complex problems and generate new insights.

“What excites me is the opportunity to ask questions that wouldn't be possible to answer otherwise,” she says. “With the amount of data we can collect today, there are so many discoveries still waiting to be made.”

About Schulich Leader Scholarships Canada

Recognizing the increasing importance and impact that STEM disciplines have on the prosperity of future generations, businessman and philanthropist Seymour Schulich established this $200 million scholarship fund in 2012 to encourage our best and brightest students to become Schulich Leader Scholars: the next generation of entrepreneurial-minded, technology innovators.

Through The Schulich Foundation and United Jewish Appeal, these prestigious entrance scholarships are awarded to 100 high school graduates enrolling in a science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) undergraduate program at 20 partner universities in Canada. Every high school in Canada can submit one Schulich Leader Nominee per academic year based entrepreneurial leadership and financial need. Learn more about Seymour Schulich's best-selling book, "Get Smarter."