Growing up in Flesherton, ON a village of 700 people located just 50 kilometers southwest of Georgian Bay, Zoë Barrett-Wood (2006 BMO Capital Markets Loran Award) has long been excited about developing her community. A budding entrepreneur and environmentalist, she began her first year of studies at University of Guelph in the fall of 2006. Zoë sees winning a Loran Award as an opportunity to continue to grow: “The freedom I have been granted to devote my time to academics, volunteering, and extracurricular initiatives is extraordinary.” Zoë is not waiting till university to take on new challenges. “This summer I spent six weeks traveling throughout southern Mexico and Belize. I explored parks and archaeological sites, and volunteered at an outdoor education centre and a nature reserve,” she says. Upon her return, she ran an environmental day camp in her community.