Education Welcomes Two New McCall MacBain Scholars
Two members of the Fall 2024 cohort of McCall MacBain Scholars will begin their funded Master’s studies at McGill’s Faculty of Education. Designed to encourage purposeful leadership, the scholarships enable students to pursue a funded degree while participating in mentorship, coaching, and a leadership development program.
Recipients were chosen based on exceptional character, community engagement, leadership potential, entrepreneurial spirit, academic strength, and intellectual curiosity.
A 2023 graduate of the Bachelor of Education program, Sam Nepton works as a homeroom teacher with the English Montreal School Board, supporting students with cognitive disabilities. She also runs the Branches Pick Your Path program, which supports Indigenous CEGEP students through university mentoring, professional and cultural development workshops, and spent last summer interning with the IMPRESS Indigenous summer research program. During her studies, Sam served as the first equity commissioner of EdUS, facilitated activities for children at a foster home, and played clarinet in the symphonic band. During an exchange term at the University of Adelaide, she participated in a comedy club. Sam will pursue a Master of Arts in Education & Society.
“I got the call [about the results] right after I sent my students out for recess. I remember being so nervous, possibly trying to avoid hearing the answer. After they told me I got it I was at a loss for words - but I had a smile on my face the rest of the day! I celebrated by playing board games with my class all afternoon. I’m very grateful for this opportunity because it means I’ll be able to build friendships with inspiring leaders who are changing the world for the better.”
Taylor Richardson recently graduated from Towson University in the United States with a bachelor's degree in dance, minoring in Black performance theory. She led the national honours society for dance arts, facilitated dance workshops for children, and joined the advisory board of the National Dance Education Organization as the undergraduate student representative. Taylor also works several part-time jobs, serves as vice-president of her sorority chapter, and directs diversity and inclusion efforts for the National Pan-Hellenic Council, which brings together nine historically African American fraternities and sororities. She will also pursue a Master of Arts in Education & Society, with a long-term goal of leading arts-based community programs for minority youth.
“McGill has a significant history for creating access to the arts which still reverberates through the city today. In the Education and Society program, I look forward to expanding these efforts by learning the history and structure of community arts programming in Montreal with intent to create my own model.”
The scholarships are the result of a landmark $200 million gift in 2019 by John and Marcy McCall MacBain, the then-largest single donation in the country’s history. In total, 277 candidates were interviewed worldwide and 91 attended the final round of interviews in Montreal. The final cohort consists of 20 Canadians and 10 international students.
