Madeline MacKinnon
2018 Entrance Scholarship
Second year student at University of Waterloo, specializing in Biomedical Engineering

Madeleine MacKinnon traces her passion for biomedical engineering back to a conversation with her godmother, whose daughter was struggling with diabetes. Learning about advances in diabetes care in the biomedical engineering field made her curious. Driven by her passion for helping people, and guided by family and friends who were engineers, she chose to pursue biomedical engineering at the University of Waterloo.

Receiving the Entrance Scholarship for high academic standing and leadership reaffirmed MacKinnon’s choice. She states, “When I received the scholarship, I was beyond excited because it validated that I belonged in the engineering field. It was awesome!”

Moreover, the award relieved MacKinnon’s concerns about the cost of her chosen degree. “I was worried about tuition, since engineering degrees are more expensive than other programs. Paying that extra money for tuition was a concern while I was making my decision, but getting this scholarship really eased any doubts I had.”

MacKinnon believes her ability to work in a team is her greatest strength. She recalls how in situations where problems have come, she and teammates have always been able to work them out. Her advice to students entering their first year in an engineering program: “Stay on top of things and don’t doubt yourself.”