Three outstanding international students — Zoe Augspach from Argentina, Mohannad Elmestekawy from Egypt, and Jimena Esboña Baca from Peru — have been named Arts & Science Global Scholars, chosen for their academic excellence and leadership.
This prestigious award covers full international tuition for four years, empowering these exceptional individuals to pursue their undergraduate studies at the University of Toronto.
Meet the 2024 Arts & Science Global Scholars
Zoe Augspach, Trinity College
The opportunity to engage in world-class research drew Zoe Augspach to apply to U of T.
Her love for scientific research was sparked in high school, where she contributed to a project investigating the potential health effects of different e-cigarette flavours. The study was submitted to Jugend forscht, Germany's best-known youth science competition, and remains one of the defining moments of her academic life.
A life sciences student, she plans to seize every opportunity to make the most of her time at the university.
She recently joined the interdisciplinary Aerospace Team and is helping to develop a satellite designed to analyze hyperspectral images to quantify crop residue. As part of the project, she’s taking on the challenge of learning to code, adding another skill to her growing resume.
“I can do so much here — it’s mind-blowing,” she said. “I like the flexibility I have to explore different programs of study without being forced to focus on one thing,”
Augspach has always embraced stepping outside her comfort zone. At her high school in Buenos Aires, she earned multiple commendations for her participation in the Argentine Mathematical Olympiad. And to gain international experience, she participated in Model UN and Jugend debattiert, a German debate competition.
Beyond academics, she was passionate about community service, working on a project to raise funds for repairs and supplies for rural schools in Argentina. In her spare time, she took martial arts and developed a love for learning foreign languages.
Augspach credits the Arts & Science Global Scholarship with allowing her to pursue an international education and fully explore her diverse interests. “I’m grateful to the university for this opportunity,” she said. “I understand that it is a big responsibility and I want to make the most of it.”
With her wide-ranging interests, Augspach wants to study immunology or pharmacology, eventually becoming a biomedical researcher because, as she puts it, she likes “seeing what’s possible.”
“I’m getting so many opportunities and it feels like everywhere I look, there’s something new to learn, do or be a part of. The possibilities here are endless.”
Mohannad Elmestekawy, New College
As a child, Mohannad Elmestekawy was known for always asking “why?”
“I’ve always been interested in how things work,” he said.
This unbridled curiosity developed into a passion for the sciences. In his teens, he was hired as a full-stack web developer at Tutoruu, an education-tech startup, headquartered in his hometown of Cairo. Around the same time, he started teaching himself how to code for fun.
A physical and mathematical sciences student, Elmestekawy is hoping to pursue the biological physics specialist program in his second year. “I like that it is a perfect blend of physics, chemistry and biology so I can explore as many topics as possible,” he explained.
It is a field of study so specific that it’s not offered at many Egyptian universities. When he was accepted to U of T and offered the Arts & Science Global Scholarship, he was elated.
“I was watching soccer with my dad when I got the confirmation email from U of T. For a minute, I kept refreshing it and re-reading it, thinking it must have been a mistake. But it was the real email! I couldn’t believe it. I still can’t.”
Since arriving at U of T, Elmestekawy embraced his academic journey wholeheartedly.
“It’s been a true joy getting to make such interesting friends from all over the world. The quality of the academic experience has also far exceeded even my high expectations. All my classes have been genuinely fun and my professors are very supportive.”
He has also been trying to strike a balance between his social and academic life. Over the last year, he has been the co-president of the Knox Residence Council. He wants to continue taking on leadership roles that help bring people together.
At his core, he still hasn’t lost his curiosity in the mechanics of our world. He is working towards becoming an academic researcher and physicist. “I am interested in the experimental and computational sides of biophysics, simulating and understanding life in depth. I want to do some cool and hopefully ground-breaking research in it!”
“I wouldn’t have been able to come to U of T without this scholarship. From now on, everything I learn and do is thanks in part to this award.”
Jimena Esboña Baca, St. Michael's College
Jimena Esboña Baca has always wanted to make the world a better place. Growing up in Lima, Peru, she focused her passion for activism and social justice on volunteering in her community.
While still in high school, she founded Chaka — a platform that connected young Peruvians with volunteer opportunities tailored to their interests. The initiative gained recognition from the Rise for the World Organization, which highlights promising young leaders dedicated to service.
Around that same time, she contributed to a research project aimed at reintegrating Indigenous communities into broader society. As part of this effort, she helped develop a dictionary for several Indigenous languages spoken in Peru, including Quechua, Shipibo and Aymara.
Esboña Baca also actively participated in Model United Nations simulations and earned a scholarship to the Yale Summer Session for pre-college students, where she explored political-economic development and democracy in Latin America.
Watching the 2020 Peruvian protests unfold — triggered by the impeachment of President Martín Vizcarra and the controversial appointment of Manuel Merino — Esboña Baca saw not just a source of political instability and corruption, but an opportunity for change. This sparked her ambition to pursue a career in politics, where she could make a difference.
“I was only 12 or 13 during the protests and I remember feeling impotent. But it clicked for me then — politics could be the solution.”
When it came time to choose a university, Esboña Baca set her sights on studying abroad. She called her acceptance to the University of Toronto, along with her receipt of the Arts & Science Global Scholarship, “a dream come true.”
“It has been priceless —I love finding myself in a place where there are so many world-class faculty,” she said. “I’ve been able to have meetings and go to conferences with founders of some of the biggest non-governmental organizations in the world. It has let me see that there is a world of opportunities for me and that I am in a place that helps facilitate the future I want.”
She credits her parents, Ana María and Carlos, for their unwavering support. “This award isn’t just a personal achievement, but a testament to my parents’ belief in my potential. They couldn’t have been prouder or happier. I share every success with them because I wouldn’t be where I am without them.”
Esboña Baca is currently the first-year representative for U of T’s International Relations Society and wants to engage in research that explores the intersections of society, culture and politics.
She plans to major in international relations, focusing on cultural preservation or international security. Combining her passion for politics and travel, she envisions a future working on global projects, supporting Indigenous communities, and learning about new cultures, with the goal of eventually returning to Peru to make a lasting impact.
“My passion started in Peru and I feel like it is my duty to return and give back to the country that has given me so much,” she said.