The McCall MacBain Scholarship
About the awards
The McCall MacBain Scholarships at McGill are Canada’s first leadership-driven scholarship for master’s and professional degree students. They represent an investment in students who are developing expertise in their respective fields, have a track record of taking initiative, and seek to collaborate with others to understand and address important problems and challenges.
As Canada’s largest leadership-based scholarships for master’s and professional studies, each scholarship covers tuition and fees for an eligible degree, a living stipend of $2,300 per month during academic terms, summer funding options, mentorship, coaching, a leadership curriculum, and access to the McCall MacBain House. A relocation grant is provided for scholars originating from outside of Montreal.
Dr. John McCall MacBain and Dr. Marcy McCall MacBain announced the creation of the McCall MacBain Scholarships in February 2019 through a landmark gift of $200 million, the single largest gift in Canadian history.
Applications will open later this year for the 2027 cohort. More information about the McCall MacBain Scholarships can be found at mccallmacbainscholars.org.
Our 2026 McCall MacBain Scholarship finalists
Dalhousie University congratulates recent graduates Will Jones and Devarshi Shah who have been named as finalists for the 2026 McCall MacBain Scholarships at McGill. Theywill travel to Montreal to attend final interviews in March, with travel expenses covered by the scholarship program.
We also congratulate University of King's College students Jonah Cameron and Lauren Sooksom, who have also been named as finalists.
The four are among 53 Canadian finalists chosen from more than 700 applicants after a first round of interviews. The selection process emphasizes holistic criteria such as character, community engagement, leadership potential, entrepreneurial spirit, academic strength, and intellectual curiosity.
Up to 30 McCall MacBain Scholars will be selected after final interviews. Finalists not selected for the cohort will be eligible to receive $10,000 for their studies at McGill.
Dalhousie finalists 2026
Will Jones recently graduated from Dalhousie with a Bachelor of Arts in Law, Justice and Society. During his studies, he co-founded multiple startups, including BitSonic.ai, a company that specializes in music and entertainment royalty analytics. The company has analyzed over 300 catalogues, while also offering free services to independent songwriters and artists to better understand their income. As vice-president, finance and operations, for the Dalhousie Student Union, Will helped launch a graduate student unit and secured funding for a new campus café. Previously, he played on the Dalhousie Football Team. He will be applying to McGill Law.
Devarshi Shah recently completed her Bachelor of Science (honours) in Microbiology and Immunology at Dalhousie. She is working as a tutor in Oshawa. Devarshi served for two years as editor-in-chief of Fathom, an undergraduate literary journal. She trained volunteer medical responders as a duty supervisor for the Dalhousie Medical Campus Response Team, volunteered at Victoria General Hospital, and taught swing dancing classes. She also worked as a marketing manager for a tutoring company. Devarshi is applying for medical schools as well as master's programs in medical and health sciences. Her honours thesis examined the signs of evolution in SARS-CoV-2 after deer-to-human transmission.
University of King's College finalists 2026
Jonah Cameron is in his final year of a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (Honours) at King's and Dalhousie. Jonah is captain of King's varsity men's soccer team and coaches youth as a non-profit soccer club. He also contributes to two Dalhousie student associations, works at university sporting events, and acts as a freelance sports journalist. Previously, he managed a semi-pro soccer team suite. In addition, Jonah has volunteered at two research labs, working on projects related to emotional regulation and olfactory processing in dogs. Jonah is applying to master's programs in kinesiology and educational leadership at McGill. He is keen to examine overlooked factors behind athletic success.
Lauren Sooksom is an English and Creative Writing student at King's. She works in residence as a receptionist, supporting students by directing them to services and resources. Lauren is vice president of the Dalhousie English Society and a writer with Dalhousie's satirical newspaper. She serves soup weekly as part of the King's Food Security Initiative. Lauren also served on the BIPOC Excellence Scholarship Committee, volunteered as an orientation week leader, and taught youth at her local ballet studio. In addition, she mentored a student through Big Brothers Big Sisters. Lauren spent her summers working at the public library and in provincial government. Lauren is applying to the Master of Arts in English program at McGill. She hopes to research the intersections of feminism, colonialism, and racial sentiments in children’s literature about witchcraft.
Meet our 2025 McCall MacBain Scholarship recipient
Michelle Wang's remarkable path: From local activism to national recognition
Discover how this recent Dal grad grew from a quiet student into a McCall MacBain Scholarship winner, driven by her passion for community service and academic excellence.
Past McCall MacBain Scholarship recipients
2023: Caleigh Wong (DipEng'22, BA'22) and Chantel Findlay (BSc'21)
2022: Anna Gaudet (BA'22)
How to apply
Applications will open later this year for the 2027 cohort. More information about the McCall MacBain Scholarships can be found at mccallmacbainscholars.org.
Important dates (to follow)
If you have additional questions, please contact linda.ruhloff@dal.ca.