Top scholar nets 99.33-per-cent average

Peter Cmorej

Jozef and Jana Cmorej, information technology professionals originally from Banska Bystrica in Slovakia, say they're proud of their son. The Cmorej's immigrated to Canada three years ago for a better life for the family, especially their children, they said.

Cmorej, an 18-year-old student from Bishop Allen Academy in Etobicoke, had an overall average of 99.33 per cent, earning perfect scores in four subjects including psychology, calculus and chemistry, and a 98 per cent in religion and French.

Both parents say their children, Peter and his younger sister Jana, have always been good students, including when they attended a Catholic school in Slovakia. But Jozef Cmorej said they were surprised that after only three short years in Canada and adjusting to the challenges that come with a new life and starting over, his son earned top marks out of all Catholic school students in the city.

For thte younger Cmorej, the secret to his success was  “a lot of hard work, to study a lot.” But he added that “it wasn’t as excessive as people think.” He credits the quality of education he received at a Catholic school in his homeland for providing him with a solid academic foundation.

He has earned a scholarship to McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont., where he plans to study health sciences and become a doctor for children with disabilities.

But it's not all about studying. He has played on the school soccer team and volunteers at the Daily Bread Food Bank and with Easter Seals Ontario. Volunteering with Easter Seals Ontario, a non-profit group helping youth with disabilities, sparked his interest in medicine.

He added that his faith plays a central role in his life.

“It’s also part of why I want to be a doctor, because I want to help people.”

As for his role models, Cmorej says it's his parents.

“They had to come to Canada and were immigrants. It was hard for them to find work and had to overcome certain difficulties,” he said.