The Class of 2026 includes students heading into technology and engineering programs that span software, biomedical innovation, mechanical systems and the intersection of minds and machines. Their paths were shaped by math competitions, music, community service and a shared appetite for solving problems that matter.
Cindy Chen
School: Stanford University
Program: Symbolic Systems, minor in Management Sciences and Engineering
Cindy Chen is a Lifer who began her SMUS journey in Kindergarten and ends it heading to Stanford University, a school she first toured in 2016. Nearly a decade later, the full circle moment is not lost on her.
Symbolic Systems, a Stanford-specific major combining cognitive science and computer science, suits someone who spent her Senior School years leading Politics Club, Model UN and Speech and Debate, winning multiple awards in both, while also serving as a Link Leader.
Cindy challenged herself academically through numerous AP courses and credits teachers Danielle Stokes Beare, Brad Edgington, Jennifer Mao, David Heffernan, and Alana Green for going above and beyond in creating a love of learning. She also expressed gratitude for her parents, who she said played an important role in her journey throughout her time at SMUS.
"I'm excited for the new chapter and all the firsts I'm going to experience," said Cindy. "Missing something shows you that what you're leaving was worth your time."
Ethan Curtis
School: Cornell University
Program: Computer Science, Cognitive Science, or Information Science
Ethan Curtis is a Lifer and, as announced recently, the Class of 2026 Valedictorian. He heads to Cornell this fall, where he will formally declare his major after his first year, with Computer Science, Cognitive Science and Information Science all under consideration.
At SMUS, Ethan served as Head of Math Club for three years and was a member of the Tennis Team for four. His mathematical achievements include two AIME qualifications, a perfect score on the Fermat Exam and an invitation to a competition camp in Waterloo, and a nomination by the Math and Science Department for the Rensselaer Medal, a scholarship to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute valued at $160,000.
He also co-founded AMC Academy with classmate Dominic Ely, an online platform that grew to prepare students across North America for competitive mathematics examinations, attracting coaches from MIT, Stanford, Berkeley and Cambridge.
A Chapel lesson from Reverend Fletcher stayed with him throughout his time at SMUS: the story of King Solomon and the ring, and the reminder that "this too shall pass."
"I'm really excited to meet many similarly entrepreneurially minded students and work on interdisciplinary projects that complement my studies," said Ethan.
Earlier this year, Ethan and classmate Dominic Ely were featured alongside Jaeden Berger-North '25 for their work building AMC Academy into a platform helping students across North America prepare for competitive mathematics examinations. Read the full story: The Three SMUS Students Revolutionizing Math Education with AMC Academy
Gautam Jay
School: University of Waterloo
Program: Biomedical Engineering
Gautam Jay first heard about SMUS through a Spotify ad for the Best School Year Ever scholarship. He applied, won the 2023-24 grand prize, and arrived from Fort McMurray, Alberta to begin Grade 10. Three years later he leaves as founder of the Circle of Impact Club, a service-based initiative, and Head of Bolton House, heading to the University of Waterloo to study Biomedical Engineering.
Boarding life was the heart of his SMUS experience. Living alongside peers from around the world built confidence, independence and perspective, and a sense of brotherhood within Bolton House that he described as something genuinely special.
"The Bolton brotherhood, the family I've built over the last three years, is pretty special," said Gautam. "Having spent three years on SMUS campus, building relationships with the staff, teachers, and house parents, it has truly become my home."
Gautam came to SMUS as the 2023-24 grand prize winner of SMUS's Best School Year Ever® contest, a scholarship recognizing exceptional students from across Canada and the United States. Read story: Three Students, One Life-Changing Opportunity: The Impact of the Best School Year Ever Contest
Luka Pittman
School: University of Victoria
Program: Mechanical Engineering
Luka Pittman's path to Mechanical Engineering runs through the music room. During his time at SMUS, he was a core member of Jazz Band and Pit Orchestra, took on a leadership role supporting the saxophone section, and learned oboe and English horn specifically for the Les Misérables production. It was that immersion in sound and performance that pointed him toward a growing interest in audio and sound-related engineering.
The West Coast Jazz Festival was among his standout SMUS memories, alongside SALTS out trips that he described as some of the most memorable experiences of his time at the school.
He singled out Head of Music and Senior School Band Teacher, Ian Farish for providing instruments, music and connections in the music world, and Senior School Strings Teacher Stella Guillén Fàbregas for the opportunity to learn oboe and to perform pieces including the La La Land Epilogue and Eleanor Rigby with the orchestra.
"I feel a bit nervous as it's a big jump," said Luka, "but I am definitely ready to begin focusing on my learning toward a more specific career path."
Memi Sonsophon
School: Imperial College London
Program: Biomedical Technology Ventures (Bioengineering)
Memi Sonsophon came to SMUS in Grade 10 from Thailand, where an experience that would shape her entire academic direction had already begun to take hold. While shadowing dentists in rural Thailand, she witnessed patients lining up before dawn for tooth extractions because preventive care was simply unaffordable. That experience motivated her to design dental hygiene educational resources for the local community, which later became her Capstone project at SMUS.
Her commitment to healthcare continued beyond that. Memi joined a group of students supporting a health centre in Chiang Mai, a rural clinic with no permanent doctor and only one head nurse, where she visited non-mobile patients at home and helped create handmade straw pillows for pressure ulcer patients and squeeze balls for bedridden patients. She also participated in a two-week Student Science Training Program, gaining hands-on laboratory experience in molecular biosciences including work with CRISPR-Cas9 and research into genome editing and thalassemia treatment.
At SMUS, Memi served as Head of Thai Club, was a member of the Intercultural Council and competed on the Senior Badminton team. AP Biology, AP Calculus BC, Physics, Chemistry and AP Macroeconomics gave her the academic foundation for the program she will pursue at Imperial College London this fall.
"My time at SMUS has gone by so quickly," said Memi, "but I guess that means I have spent it well."
Sting Zhang
School: University of Waterloo
Program: Computer Science
Sting Zhang arrived at SMUS in Grade 7 and spent the next six years accumulating one of the most impressive records in mathematics and computing the school has seen. He achieved a perfect score on the Canadian Computing Competition in both 2024 and 2026, earned Distinction four consecutive years, qualified for the American Invitational Mathematics Examination, reached Gold Division in USACO in both 2025 and 2026, and earned Distinction in the Euclid, Cayley, Gauss and Fermat contests.
On the golf course, he was a key member of the SMUS team that won the BC AA Provincial Championship in June, overcoming a four-shot deficit in the final round to claim the title. Coach Steve Bates described him as the emotional leader of the group.
Beyond the accolades, it is a quieter insight that he plans to carry into university.
"Leadership is not about proving you are the best individual," said Sting. "It is about helping the people around you grow. I want to carry that mindset into every environment, focusing less on recognition and more on how I can positively impact the people around me."
Sting's science fair project Waste-E, an autonomous garbage-collecting robot co-developed with classmate Edmond Aphiwetsa, earned the BC Hydro Pioneers Award at the Vancouver Island Regional Science Fair earlier this year. Read story: Curiosity Takes Centre Stage at Canada-Wide Science Fair
