At the University of Alberta, Schulich Scholarship winner Sheldon Cannon is carrying on what he’s been doing in his hometown of Kindersley for years: creating positive change.
Growing up in Kindersley, Cannon noticed two things that troubled him: the lack of youth representation in the community, and the lack of activities for teens to participate in. “Kindersley struggles with having something to do,” he observed.
With the motivation for change and “super supportive” parents and teachers behind him, Cannon set to work on various community service projects. This included creating a free program for youth at the Kindersley and District Plains Museum, and planning events as a youth councillor. He was a member of Team Sun West for a year, and spent two years as a member of the Sun West Youth Consultation group. This gave him the opportunity to present to the Board of Education. Earlier in 2016, he was one of 80 national finalists for the Loran Scholars Foundation for his demonstration of character, leadership skills, and commitment to service.
Cannon’s strong abilities reached beyond his community service. He maintained a high-90s average in school and discovered a keen interest in health. “I’ve always been interested in science, even as a little kid,” says Cannon. His father, Ron Cannon, agrees: “He’s always been interested in science, how things work, trying to make things better.” Sheldon’s interest became especially keen around grade 8 when he began studying the complexity and beautiful intricacies of the human body.
Cannon says that his fascination for science goes hand-in-hand with a desire to help people, to assist in building a positive community. In addition to delivering Meals on Wheels, Cannon founded a health club at KCS to promote health engagement in the school.
Earlier this year, Cannon was one of 50 students to receive the four-year Schulich Leader Scholarship, valued at $80,000. “I wasn’t expecting it,” laughs Cannon, but he notes that it “takes off one of those stresses of the first year.” His interest in health has pushed him into the Faculty of Science’s Interdisciplinary Science Threshold Experience (InSciTE) for his first year. In the future, he hopes to further his study of medicine, using his talents to improve the quality of life for the people around him.
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