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“David is now creating opportunities for future students at
Eastglen, just as Mr. Probert once did for him. And with the
scholarship being endowed, this legacy will continue for
generations to come.”
— Anna Opryshko, ECF’s Student Awards Associate
Alberta, her younger sister Salma entered high
school. She too, was drawn to mathematics,
and soon enough was following in her sister’s
footsteps. In 2024, Salma went on to win the
scholarship and begin studying engineering at
the University of Alberta.
“I wanted to go into something STEM-
based, because I enjoy math and I was
determined,” says Salma. “The scholarship
really helped me go closer to that, to be an
engineer hopefully in the future.”
With one year of tuition, books and supplies
estimated to cost $10,000, the scholarship
made a significant difference in the financial
cost of the girls’ studies. Their father also
wanted to help out with the cost of their
education, and winning the scholarship made
that cost a little more attainable.
“He’s proud of us that we got the
scholarship,” says Salma. “We had good grades
and we were both going to engineering to do
what we like and enjoy ourselves.”
The Probert Math Scholarship was
established at ECF by David Cheriton, a
computer scientist, professor emeritus at
Stanford University and graduate of Eastglen
High School. It was there in the late 1960s
that Cheriton first met Elwyn Probert, a
mathematics teacher who would leave a
lasting impression.
“I’d certainly view him as one of the best, if
not the best, math teacher I’ve had at all levels,”
says Cheriton, who, after Eastglen, went on to
complete a Master of Science and Doctor of
Philosophy degree in computer science.
Cheriton remembers Probert as “strict, but
fun” — the kind of teacher who enjoyed the
knowledge he was sharing with students. He
also remembers Probert as a forward-thinking
instructor, who had his eye on the potential of
computers and technology.
“It’s in some ways dazzling to look back and
say in 1967 you have a high school teacher, in a
math class that walks in and says, ‘computers
are the future,’” says Cheriton. “So the notion
that this was the future was insane in some ways
because you think, how could this be the future
when virtually nobody’s encountered it yet?’”
Aside from fostering an interest in
mathematics and technology in students,
Probert’s teaching methods also had an
impact on Cheriton. Rather than teaching dry,
textbook-based lessons, Cheriton remembers
Probert bringing real-world,
practical examples into his
lessons — a method Cheriton
would later go on to use when
teaching computer science
at Stanford.
“Some teachers come into
class and just say, OK, lesson
number 46, blah, blah, blah,
and drag you through it. Mr.
Probert brought a little more
interest with comments and
ideas from the outside world
­ — that’s what stuck with me,” he says.
“It’s always inspiring to witness the ripple
effect of the positive impact people have on
one another in the community,” says Anna
Opryshko, ECF’s Student Awards Associate.
“David is now creating opportunities for future
students at Eastglen, just as Mr. Probert
once did for him. And with the scholarship
being endowed, this legacy will continue for
generations to come.”
Through the scholarship, Cheriton hopes
to carry on Probert’s legacy and teachings with
future generations, encouraging them to explore
and adopt a mathematical way of thinking.
“The math education I got in grade school
and high school was really fundamental to be
able to pursue the career I pursued. It’s not
just learning mathematics per se, but there’s
kind of a discipline of thinking that comes with
mathematics and there’s a certain aesthetics
of how you tackle things,” he explains.
“When you have young people that
you can give them the slight nudge in the
direction and they go on and the nudge gets
amplified into a great career, it’s kind of a
wonderful return on investment.”
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