Lia Codrington
2015 Entrance Scholarship
Third Year Student at University of Toronto, specializing in Engineering Science and Infrastructure

Lia chose engineering at U. of T. so she wouldn’t have to make a choice between pursuing either arts or science. “I wanted to combine both my interests to make useful things that would affect people’s day-to-day lives,” she explains. At U. of T. students are encouraged to explore many different types of engineering before deciding on a specialty.

“The Foundation for Education’s scholarship really helped fund my degree. I can work an entire summer and still not make enough money for tuition,” Lia says, “It was especially meaningful because it came from Professional Engineers Ontario, a society of people who have already done what I’m trying to do. It helped me realize that I was on the right track and had the support of so many other engineers.”

Lia believes that finding a balance between school, extracurriculars, and personal time is the key to success, “The biggest challenge is finding enough hours in the day. It’s important to schedule your time effectively to complete all your activities and enjoy it at the same time.” To fill her time outside of the classroom, Lia competes on U. of T.’s cross-country and track teams as a long-distance runner. Additionally, she is working with U. of T.’s Engineers Without Borders chapter to develop a new program called the Indigenous Allyship Program.

Lia hopes to one day work in creating tiny houses, “I want to create homes that are energy-efficient at a reasonable price so they can be brought to the places that need them most, especially northern and remote communities where housing is such an issue. Lia is excited about bringing her communication skills and passion for the environment to the profession of engineering.