Sandy Welsh, vice-provost, students, welcomed the 2026 Lester B. Pearson International Scholars at Hart House and invited them to bring their customs, culture, language and viewpoints. The scholarship is named for Lester B. Pearson, a U of T alumnus, former prime minister and Nobel Prize recipient.
David Archie Luteka Holi, from Nairobi, learned he had been selected during an airport layover in Doha. He studies electrical and computer engineering and wants to improve power systems. Alice Pedroza Luna, a Brazilian student from Portugal and a two-time Pan American karate champion, begins a bachelor’s degree in performance in the Faculty of Music.
Shohruhmirzo Khudaykulov, from Uzbekistan, enters U of T Scarborough’s co-op life sciences program and plans to major in neuroscience and AI. Maria Paula Araujo Munizaga, from Guayaquil, Ecuador, is studying digital enterprise management at U of T Mississauga and has founded two youth-led initiatives.
Reported from ‘Learn more about ourselves and each other’: U of T welcomes its newest Pearson Scholars (U of T News, October 2, 2026).
More from the original reporting: www.utoronto.ca/news/learn-more-about-ourselves-and-each-other-u-t-welcomes-its-newest-pearson-scholars