Ben Kim
Mississauga, Ontario
Age at time of award: 18

Ben Kim met like-minded peers at Shad Valley Camp and soon after galvanized a team of fellow “Shads” with the idea of starting an organization for people who love music and humanitarianism. Thus Musicians Without Borders (MWB) Canada was born.

By hosting fundraisers, benefit concerts and art festivals across Canada, MWB Canada met their goal of raising $10,000 to purchase a cargo van for the Ugandan village of Tekera.

This vehicle has given an entire community not only a way for low-income villagers to get around, but access to fresh produce for those who live far from the city market and an ambulance.

Confirmed benefit concerts are lined up for 2011 and Ben and his team are planning the next phase of gaining chapters for MWB Canada at post-secondary institutions across Canada.

Rita-Clare LeBlanc
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Age at time of award: 16

Unsure what to do with a $77.12 Christmas gift that had to be invested in a project, Rita-Clare was instantly inspired when she went to a youth conference on education in Africa.

With little guidance and forging into unexplored territory, she researched what it would take to build a school in Africa and found the perfect partner charity. Rita-Clare established the organization MYST: Maritime Youth Standing Together and connected with the all-volunteer, Ohio-based group called African Sky.

Starting with the initial $77.12investment, Rita-Clare and her team of 30 peers have now raised $13,500 to build a brand new school in Mali.

Rita-Clare is proud of their accomplishment, and that it is all youth-driven and that she has introduced philanthropy to Canadian youth who never imagined the impact they could all have.

Michael Lim
West Vancouver, British Columbia
Age at time of award: 19

Having witnessed several family members succumb to cancer, Michael knows firsthand the devastating effects of this disease beyond the staggering statistics.

Currently a medical student, Michael hopes that he can relieve the burden of cancer for patients through compassionate clinical care, outreach, advocacy and research – he endeavours to contribute to scientific breakthroughs by utilizing the expertise acquired from participating in scientific research for the past 6 years.

Indeed, as part of a team of scientists led by Professor Ashok Venkitaraman at the University of Cambridge, Michael co-authored a paper published in the high impact, peer-reviewed journal, Cancer Cell.

Michael has recently been awarded a Cancer Research UK graduate studentship to embark upon a PhD at the London Research Institute; this will be pursued alongside medical studies at University College London as part of the MB PhD programme.

Yale Michaels
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Age at time of award: 19

At the age of 12, Yale turned his passion for science into a mission by securing a lab position at the University of Manitoba.

Not one to shy away from a challenge, Yale took it upon himself to solve the challenge of finding a way to destroy harmful cells in the human body, while leaving healthy cells intact.

After years of R&D, Yale created Smart shRNA, a system that distinguishes healthy cells from corrupted ones: each cell is entered and, if it is found to be diseased, only then, the therapy is activated.

Currently involved in disease research at the Harvard Medical School, Yale hopes to one day aid in the treatment of diverse terminal illnesses.