Just 36 students across Canada were selected as this year\u2019s Loran Scholars \u2014 and one of them is from South Surrey.<\/p>\n
More than 5,400 students across Canada applied to become Loran Scholars, with only 36 individuals receiving this award.<\/p>\n
Seven of those 36 are B.C. students, making up 20 per cent of the cohort.<\/p>\n
Earl Marriott Grade 12 student Ibrahim Shaaban was announced as one of these seven 2026 students to receive the Loran Award, worth more than $100,000.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m still in shock,\u201d Shaaban tells Peace Arch News. \u201cI don\u2019t really understand the depth of it all. But interviews like this really help make this feel real to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shaaban is involved in student advocacy and leadership councils at Earl Marriott that plan and co-ordinate school initiatives. He also captains the senior soccer team and volunteers as a youth sports coach.<\/p>\n
He has also organized a community fundraiser that supports children\u2019s access to athletics and previously volunteered as a touchpool educator at the Vancouver Aquarium.<\/p>\n
The Loran Scholars Foundation shared in a release that they believe the key to building a brighter future is by \u201cempowering values-driven youth ready to embrace the challenge of leaving the world better than they found it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Loran Award was created in order to find these young people.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe look beyond marks to identify students with a guiding sense of purpose: those who demonstrate exceptional strength of character, a deep commitment to service, and the potential to lead with integrity,\u201d says the release.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt looks past just grades or athletics, it awards something that usually isn\u2019t awarded,\u201d said Shaaban, explaining that this is a leadership award that covers three main ideas: character, service and leadership.<\/p>\n
He explained that LORAN is an acronym for Long Range Aid to Navigation, which is a three-point navigation system that people used to use navigation without any maps.<\/p>\n
Shaaban shares that the meaning behind calling this award by that name is because it is supposed to represent the three Loran points \u2013 character, service, leadership \u2013 as a way to navigate through life.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo be honest, at first I was hesitant to even apply for Loran,\u201d admitted Shaaban. \u201cIt seemed like this huge thing that I\u2019d look up to and think that it would be cool if somebody got that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Though nervous and not thinking he had a chance, Shaaban applied anyway.<\/p>\n
After the initial application, Shaaban said the next step was to create a short video answering a few questions.<\/p>\n
A series of Zoom interviews followed creating the list of 250 selected students for the semifinals. More interviews took place and then there was a three-week silence period that made Shaaban realize just how real this whole thing was.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the most nerve-wracking part of the whole Loran experience was waiting to hear back about finals, not even about the actual end result,\u201d said Shaaban. \u201cThis is when everything felt real.\u201d<\/p>\n
The wait eventually ended, and 90 students were selected to attend finals hosted in Toronto, Shaaban being one of those 90.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen I heard back and I was like, this is insane. That can\u2019t be real. I went from barely applying to making it to nationals,\u201d shared Shaaban.<\/p>\n
Interviews, panels and workshops took place for these 90 hopefuls in Toronto, which Shaaban says was an experience enough. He would have been happy with just being here.<\/p>\n
After the weekend, winners of the 2026 Loran Award were announced a week later, with Shaaban as one of them.<\/p>\n
The award, which is valued at more than $100,000, is offered in partnership with 25 Canadian universities and includes financial support, leadership development opportunities and a network of mentors and peers over four years.<\/p>\n
In the release, the Loran Scholars Foundation said the award is meant to give exceptional students \u201ca launchpad to unlock their potential\u201d and empower them to create positive change in their communities.<\/p>\n
The foundation added that while each of this year\u2019s 36 recipients has an impressive list of accomplishments, what truly connects them is their values-driven approach to leadership and dedication to uplifting others.<\/p>\n
With that in mind, Shaaban explained that this award is not something he sees as setting recipients apart from everyone else.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the biggest thing for me is that the Loran Award doesn\u2019t necessarily mean that it\u2019s only these people that can make an impact in the community, and it\u2019s not only the people who get a Loran Award that are able to make a difference,\u201d he said. \u201cI think everybody should be striving to make a difference. No matter what, no matter if they\u2019re getting recognized or not.\u201d<\/p>\n