Shane Joy First Victoria Student to Win “Canadian Rhodes Scholarship”

^{Photo by Neil Gaikwad.}

By Leslie Shepherd 

Shane Joy is the first Victoria University student to receive a McCall McBain scholarship, an award that is often viewed as the Canadian equivalent of a Rhodes Scholarship. Hundreds of students apply, but only 20 Canadians are selected each year. 

Joy, a history and international relations major who is graduating in June, will pursue a one-year Master of Public Policy degree at McGill University in Montreal starting this fall. 

“I felt a mix of disbelief and gratitude when I learned I would receive the scholarship,” said Joy. “It was the first time I struggled to breathe from excitement. I was asleep in my room when I received the call.” 
 
Joy also received the 2025 John H. Moss Scholarship, one of the University of Toronto’s oldest awards recognizing student excellence, making him also the first Vic student to win both the Moss and McCall McBain scholarships. 
 
The McCall MacBain Scholarships also offered 95 entrance awards to top finalists who were not selected. Vic U student Adriana Goraieb, a physiology and human biology major, earned a $10,000 award. She applied for the Master of Science in Experimental Medicine program at McGill.  
 
Joy said he was planning to defer school to work and save money, but “the McCall MacBain Scholarship empowers me to pursue my studies and join a global multidisciplinary community of peers and mentors while growing as a purpose-driven leader.” 

Joy aims to leverage data-based approaches in public policy to address critical issues in and between Canada and the United States, focusing on national security, settler-Indigenous relations, housing, and affordability. His interest in history is closely tied to his goal of a career in public service. 

While at Vic, Joy was president of the Victoria University Students' Administrative Council and a student representative on the Board of Regents. He was also a residence don, chair of the Student Projects Fund, Co-Director of Finance at Caffiends, a two-time orientation week executive, and a Victoria University Black Excellence and Inclusion Committee member. 

Goraieb was the co-manager of Caffiends, a student-run café at Victoria College that promotes ethical trade and sustainability. As a commuter don, she initiated Wellness Wednesdays, a weekly program that encourages students to prioritize their well-being through creative workshops and activities focused on physical and mental health. 
 
“The McCall McBain Scholarship is the premiere scholarship in Canadian graduate education, designed to support the best and brightest future leaders with what amounts to a full ride towards their graduate work at McGill,” said Victoria College Principal Alex Hernandez. “It is an exceedingly rare honour, with only 20 scholars selected each year."  

Recipients were chosen based on exceptional character, community engagement, leadership potential, entrepreneurial spirit, academic strength, and intellectual curiosity.  

Hernandez said that Joy represents the best of Victoria College and the University of Toronto.  

“A confident, careful and critical thinker, his leadership is admired by students and faculty alike and he has a knack for finding solutions to difficult issues with integrity and creativity,” Hernandez said. “We are thrilled that Shane's excellence has been recognized by the McCall McBain Scholarship committee." 
 
Hernandez said that Goraieb has an impressive track record of community engagement to go along with her stellar GPA.  
 
“She served as a commuter Don over multiple years, a well-being peer adviser in the Dean’s Office and mentored in a number of settings,” he said. “An aspiring doctor, she’s also conducted cutting-edge bioinformatics research. Her leadership at Caffiends has helped to make it a thriving hub for student life at Vic." 

The McCall MacBain Scholarships are Canada’s largest leadership-based scholarships for master’s and professional studies. The scholarship covers tuition and fees, a relocation grant, options for summer funding and a living stiped.  Every scholar is matched with an experienced mentor, an executive coach and advisers.