Issie Grecoff, an undergraduate student at the University of Waterloo, is most at home either in the water or looking at the cosmos. The long-distance swimmer with a passion for physics has been competing in open water swimming events since she was 11.
She has now been announced as the winner of the 2024 Luke Santi Memorial Award for Student Achievement.
Established and funded by Perimeter Institute, the award is presented annually in memory of Luke Santi. Luke was a high school student who demonstrated a passion for research and discovery, earned top marks in his courses, took part in a variety of extracurricular activities, and volunteered his time in service of others.
“When I saw the scholarship, I thought it was really interesting,” Issie recalls. “Luke was into physics but wasn't concentrated just on academics. He was involved in sports, just like me, and volunteering. I just felt like I fit the scholarship description very well.”
As part of the award, Grecoff spent the day at Perimeter, meeting the Santi family, talking with researchers, and learning about the Perimeter Institute Quantum Intelligence Lab (PIQuIL).
Swimming with a purpose
Born in Vancouver, Issie and her family moved throughout her childhood, from Montreal to Australia, France, and eventually to Penticton, BC where her grandfather lives. She fell in love with swimming at a young age and competed in triathlons with her sister. But it was her grandfather that inspired her to start open water swimming.
“My grandpa was a big inspiration for me because he did the Ironman. I've always wanted to do one, and you have to swim in the lake for it,” she says.
Grecoff competed in her first open water swim at age 11 in Lake Okanagan. She has participated in swims across Canada, some up to 32 km long. Through her swimming, she has raised thousands for Alzheimer’s research in honour of her grandmother and great uncle, who both suffered from the disease.
“My grandma was actually at the finish line of my first race,” she says. “It was something that I wanted to help bring money to research. I wanted to be able to help improve advancements in the field.”
A future in physics
Besides swimming, Grecoff has always had of love of science and math. But it was her high school physics teacher that fostered a passion for astronomy. He encouraged her to join the school’s astronomy club, where she eventually took on a leadership role.
“My interest stemmed from my teacher and how amazing and supportive he was. He’s why I’m in the physics and astronomy program,” she says. “With the club, we did a research project called RECON. We were looking at the different sizes of rocks around planets. We'd have to wake up super early and be at the observatory at two in the morning.”
What’s next
Grecoff has now finished her first year of university and is looking forward to future classes and learning more about coding. “I want coding to be like another language that I’m fluent in,” she says. “And I’m excited for some courses coming up, like the stars class we can take in later years.”
As for swimming, Grecoff is getting into triathlon training so she can compete in the Ironman like her grandfather. “We have a plan to get matching Ironman Canada tattoos,” she says. “He keeps telling me that I’m going to beat his time.”
As the latest Luke Santi Award winner, Issie joins recent awardees like Ananda Thomlinson, who is currently a PSI Start intern at Perimeter, and Stanley Miao, who is pursuing his MSc. at the University of Waterloo – all of whom embody the curiosity and commitment that made Luke Santi special.
What advice does Grecoff have for future applicants for the Luke Santi Memorial Scholarship? “Just be yourself and really understand what Luke was all about: the volunteering, the extracurriculars, being into physics and being passionate.”
About PI
Perimeter Institute is the world’s largest research hub devoted to theoretical physics. The independent Institute was founded in 1999 to foster breakthroughs in the fundamental understanding of our universe, from the smallest particles to the entire cosmos. Research at Perimeter is motivated by the understanding that fundamental science advances human knowledge and catalyzes innovation, and that today’s theoretical physics is tomorrow’s technology. Located in the Region of Waterloo, the not-for-profit Institute is a unique public-private endeavour, including the Governments of Ontario and Canada, that enables cutting-edge research, trains the next generation of scientific pioneers, and shares the power of physics through award-winning educational outreach and public engagement.
