Paul Sarte grew up in a new immigrant household in Winnipeg’s West End with a single mother, an experience that encouraged him to work hard.

“My mother was born in the Philippines and she taught me to save my money to pay for university,” said Sarte. In December 2011, Sarte’s hard work was rewarded as he received the prestigious Sir William Stephenson Scholarship valued at $6,500 to assist him in completing his degree.

Paul shares his love of science by volunteering with Let’s Talk Science, which engages inner city youth. He also likes to work with new immigrants and volunteers at UWinnipeg’s Global Welcome Centre, helping neighbourhood teens with their high school chemistry problems. “I love teaching, and because I am fluent in French I am able to help some of the teens from Africa. It’s good to have a place to come and learn.”

Paul is completing a four-year Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and three-year Bachelor of Science in Mathematics. He plays piano, soccer and hopes to become a chemistry professor in the future.

In 1984, Sir William Stephenson made a significant gift to The University of Winnipeg to establish the scholarships in his name. Known by the code name Intrepid, Sir William Stephenson started off as a poor Winnipeg hardware salesperson and ended up a Second World War spy legend and the inspiration for Ian Fleming’s hero, James Bond.

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