The Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship, established in 2017, is U of T's most prestigious undergraduate award, bringing about three dozen international students a year and covering tuition, books, incidental fees and residence for four years.
Speakers at the Trinity College reception included Mariana Mota Prado and Sandy Welsh, who praised the scholars' courage, and Barbara Dick, who welcomed the cohort into the alumni community. The Class of 2026 includes Paramvir Singh, from India, joining KPMG Canada's Asset Management Tax team, and Maansi Suri, who came to U of T via the United Arab Emirates, joining infrastructure firm Jacobs Canada.
Professor Prado was photographed taking a selfie with scholars Giorgi Kaikatsishvili and Oberto Monasterios at the reception — a small moment in a program that now spans 190 countries.
Reported from ‘Ninety-nine per cent of the journey is who you share it with’: Honouring the Pearson Scholars Class of 2026, by Not stated in source (U of T Alumni News, July 13, 2026).
More from the original reporting: alumni.utoronto.ca/news/ninety-nine-cent-journey-who-you-share-it-honouring-pearson-scholars-class-2026