Two Montréalrs overcame adversity to win the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship

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Back at CEGEP, a teacher told Sabine Plummer that she should quit chemistry because she had no aptitude for the subject.

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“I remember that upsetting me a lot and I read the entire manual with a grudge,” Plummer said. “I didn’t do well in that class, but I decided I would eventually do well in chemistry.”

Plummer, now a chemistry major with a multidisciplinary science and art history major at Concordia, received a Rhodes scholarship, one of two Montreal-area students to win the award this year. They are among 11 students in Canada and 100 in the world to receive the award which includes two years of paid tuition to study a master’s degree at Oxford University in England, plus room and board.

“It’s a vindication,” Plummer said.

She chose to study chemistry because, as a high-achieving scholar, it was one of the most challenging subjects.

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“I enjoy overcoming that challenge and I love learning. Naturally, I’m curious about chemistry and its applications, which are so varied, ”said Plummer, who was born in Toronto but grew up in Montreal.

Plummer is an artist and hopes to combine his studies in chemistry and art history to work on the restoration of historical works of art while at Oxford.

“I like the idea of ​​applying all the theory that I have gathered in the last four years to something tangible, like an artifact or a painting. I definitely want to work in that field. “

As more attention has been paid to mental health crises in recent months, Plummer’s work in supporting students struggling with mental health issues was one of the reasons he was awarded the scholarship, which also emphasizes work within the community.

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In high school, Plummer battled depression and vowed to help raise awareness and help others get the support they need. At Concordia, she was a founding member of the Chapter stronger than stigma and was chief of operations at the mental health organization WellMTL In Montreal.

Although he threatened to derail his academic career, Plummer came out of his bout of depression through therapy and believes he is mentally stronger because of it. She encourages others to never neglect their mental health and to “live a pleasant, equal and balanced life.”

Ramiz Razzak also overcame adversity to achieve his academic performance, like the other fellow from Quebec. His parents moved to Montreal from Pakistan and India and soon after they started a textile company. But when the industry fell into tough times in the early 2000s, they started a new business, running several local Indian restaurants, including the newly opened one. ChaïShaï House at Bishop St.

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“That was a huge motivation for me to apply and a huge boost for the kind of work I do,” said Razzak, who often enlisted to help his parents with their businesses.

A Harvard student who grew up in Brossard, Razzak is studying applied mathematics and economics with a high school in philosophy. He is interested in economic crises and the tools to manage them, with a focus on how minority and vulnerable communities are adversely affected.

The topic is particularly relevant as the global economy struggles to overcome the impact of the pandemic. At Oxford, Razzak hopes to combine philosophy, economics and history to better understand how policy makers can manage current and future economic crises.

“We are at a really interesting time,” he said. “We entered the COVID pandemic with very little ammunition in the form of interest rate policy, and that really leaves the question: what is the role of fiscal policy in the world where monetary policy may not have the ammunition that normally? do you have to address the kind of crises we are facing?

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Razzak applied for the Rhodes Scholarship because he wanted to obtain funds to study at Oxford, because he believes that it is the best place to pursue his academic goals.

“The scholarship stood out as a unique opportunity to have funding for your studies and have a stipend to be able to concentrate and immerse yourself in your studies and your work,” he said. “He was committed to finding a way to acquire this training, and if the Rhodes hadn’t worked, he probably would have requested other opportunities.”

Razzak found out he received the scholarship while he was at a restaurant in Montreal last Saturday celebrating his girlfriend’s birthday.

“I was stunned when I first heard the news,” he said. “I stayed outside for a while to process what was happening and then I went back to the restaurant, called my parents and shared the news with everyone. It was a wonderful night “.

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Richard Pan, the national secretary for Rhodes Scholarships in Canada, said the students “truly represent the best of Quebec,” adding that both have shown remarkable resilience in their lives.

“Sabine has had her struggles, but she has done it very well and has a lot to teach people about mental health,” he said. “Razzak is very community-minded and very interested in how to design a central bank policy that better reflects real conditions. He is well aware of the struggles of trying to reestablish himself. “

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