In late May, Saanich student Nathan Hellner-Mestelman received the TD Scholarship for Community Leadership – an award coveted by more than 20,000 Canadian high school students each year.
Since 1995, the Toronto-based bank has awarded 20 scholarships annually, each worth up to $70,000, for students showcasing "outstanding commitment to community leadership."
Speaking with the 18-year-old recipient, it quickly becomes clear he embodies the award’s ethos. Over the past years, Hellner-Mestelman launched and spearheaded a range of science-related projects that established him as a leader both in school and outside the classroom.
His fascination with the cosmos began at the age of four and blossomed six years later, during his first visit to Saanich’s Dominion Astrophysical Observatory in the summer of 2017.
“Someone had their telescope and invited me up,” he said. “I remember just seeing Saturn and being so mind blown that you could actually turn that little dot in the sky into a full world in front of my eyes.”
“The whole science of taking something invisible and making it plainly visible just absolutely took me that night.”
This single event sparked an insatiable curiosity for the universe and what lies beyond our eyes. The following day, the young boy headed to the store and bought the exact same telescope to start gazing at the stars on his own.
His passion quickly evolved into a full-time hobby.
“The more I read and learn about astronomy, the more I've realized that the reason I loved it so much was not only because of the thrill of the discoveries, but also because of the perspective that it was able to bring to me,” he said. “Earth is just one tiny planet in the middle of a much greater universe, and that has a really humbling and very awe-inspiring effect on me.”
A few months later, Hellner-Mestelman became a member of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada and began volunteering at the observatory’s weekly astronomy cafes, where he answered visitors’ questions about space.
Lauri Roche, a board member of the Friends of the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, has followed the young man’s journey since the day he first visited the observatory and became an integral part of the team.
“He came with his telescope with his mom and dad and said, ‘I want to put a telescope up… and show some people what I've got,’” said Roche. “He had a lineup of people beside him within minutes. He was just able to talk with people and let them know what was going on.”
Early on, Hellner-Mestelman became an “expert interpreter," Roche observed.
“He is a delightful person to talk to and very insightful,” she said. “He’s very creative and always seems to be really curious about everything that he looks at, but also very intent on trying to get answers for things.”
“He’s able to take a very complicated subject like cosmology and astrophysics and communicate it easily to a general public. To me that's also a real win.”
At the age of 13, he began writing about astronomy and, with encouragement from his peers at the observatory, submitted articles to SkyNews Magazine. Within months, the young space enthusiast became a regular contributor and cartoonist at the now-defunct publication.
As writing became part of his daily routine, Hellner-Mestelman filled pages with notes, thoughts, questions and answers, all of which formed the foundation of his first book, Cosmic Wonder, published in April 2024. A little over a year later, he published his second book, The Language of the Stars.
“People have things in common with each other, but we also have things in common with other kingdoms of life; we have things in common with plant cells and with bacteria,” he said. “Chemically, we have a lot in common with the Earth (and) atomically we have things in common with everything else in the universe too.”
Beyond being a published author, cartoonist, volunteer and amateur astronomer, Hellner-Mestelman also forged himself as a leader within his field.
As the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the globe in early 2020, confining everyone to their homes, the Mount Doug student looked for ways to connect like-minded folks and continue learning and sharing a passion for space.
With the help of another member of RASC, he founded the Cosmic Generation, which hosted video call meetings called Global Star Parties. At its peak, the group reached over 140 members from 11 different countries.
As the pandemic faded and students returned to school, Hellner-Mestelman carried over the Cosmic Generation to Mount Doung and started the school’s Astronomy and Science Fair Club.
Now a recent graduate, the young man has humbly accepted the TD Scholarship.
“It's one of the greatest honours I've ever had,” he said. “I’m grateful to have been given the chance to follow my heart and see it through.”
With $70,000 in hand, the lump sum represents “peace of mind” for Hellner-Mestelman, who is leaving the Capital Region for UBC this fall, still unsure whether his path lies in astrophysics, music composition, film production, creative writing, or the performing arts.
Pained to see him go but joyful to see him grow, Roche believes he has everything he needs to succeed in whatever endeavours he sets his mind to.
“He’s just an amazing young man,” said the retired teacher. “I've taught for 35 years, and I never came up with being able to teach a student that's quite like Nathan.
“I'm so proud of him for getting this award, and I really look forward to seeing what's going to happen.”
