Lasya Vankayala

What area(s) of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) are you pursuing for your undergraduate degree? 

Science

What is your favourite inspirational quote? 

“The heights by great men reached and kept 

      Were not attained by sudden flight, 

But they, while their companions slept, 

      Were toiling upward in the night.”

 – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

What is a little known fact about you?

I really enjoy filmmaking and videography and am taking a screenplay writing course next year in university! I see filmmaking, scriptwriting and other creative arts as a way to better my understanding of the world. I especially enjoy writing stories from the perspectives of characters with backgrounds that are vastly different from my own, as this helps me see life through a new pair of eyes.

Why do you think you make a great Schulich Leader? 

I make a great Schulich Leader because I am a devoted volunteer, dedicated leader and driven scientist. As a first generation Canadian, I have seen firsthand the importance of education and knowledge. I believe strongly in leadership, activism, and an unending thirst for knowledge. As a researcher and innovator, I want to lead the search for cures and treatments that we currently do not have. I am particularly interested in neurodegenerative diseases, because I believe that intelligence and the ability for thought are the defining qualities of humanity, and that the loss of mental faculties is the greatest cruelty that can happen to a person.