Luther College Grade 12 student Chan-Min Roh has an impressive academic resume. He serves as captain of the school’s soccer and debate teams. Now, he’s added a new accolade – Loran Scholar.
Roh is the first Regina student to win the national bursary. Over 5,000 students across Canada applied, and 35 were chosen to receive the $100,000, four-year scholarship.
“I’m so grateful to have received this sum of money,” Roh said. “It’s obviously a huge amount, and I’m just so glad I’m able to pay back my parents with this hard work and this outcome so they don’t have to worry about supporting me financially through university.”
Roh is still deciding what university he wants to attend, but he’s looking at majoring in political science. He wants to use that as a path to becoming a lawyer, journalist or diplomat.
“I think I want to find myself giving voice to other people, representing other individuals and really using my ability to speak to empower others,” he said.
Despite being in high school, Roh has already gotten a taste of international diplomacy. Since joining the debate team in Grade 9 he’s taken part in the Oxford Cup of British parliamentary debate, the 2017 model European Parliament in Finalnd, and will be travelling to Beijing, China next week to take part in a model G20.
His debate coach, Kimberley Greenman, said Roh has grown remarkably in the past four-years.
“Now to see him public speaking, to carry himself in such a way. He’s intellectually curious about the topics that we’re discussing in debate. Yeah, his growth has been tremendous. He’s just getting more and more involved, with more and more recognition for all the hard work he’s doing” she said.
Greenman, who is also a history and world religions teacher at Luther, described Roh as a gifted student who would go far even without this scholarship.
She added that part of Luther’s goal is to provide students the opportunity to grow academically and personally.
“The Loran Scholarship really highlights both the academic, but also that character development as well. It will just provide him with so many opportunities,” Greenman said.
The scholarship weighs character heavily in selecting successful applicants; focusing on integrity, courage, compassion, and promise of leadership.
Roh first heard of the scholarship three years ago, and credits the school community for helping him develop the traits that helped him achieve his goal.
“Without being a Luther student and involved and immersed in this community none of this would have been possible,” Roh said.
Two other Saskatchewan high school students received the 2019 Loran Scholarship. They are Tanner Zekonic from Mount Royal Collegiate in Saskatoon and Emily Simon from North Battleford’s John Paul II Collegiate.
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