Music, art and computer science: these are the three passions that drive Lessa Thornton.
This may seem to some like an unlikely combination, but Lessa explains how they connect for her. “The great thing about computer science is that if you want to get farther in the industry, it really is about having those creativity and problem-solving skills, which can come from things like doing music and art. And I feel like that helps me broaden my horizons and vision.”
Lessa is a 2023-24 recipient of the John Khoury Scholarship, established through a gift from John Khoury via the McKenna Institute. Valued at $15,000, and with preference given to women and Indigenous students, the scholarship is awarded annually to four students enrolled in an undergraduate computer science degree program.
There are few students at UNB who are as busy as Lessa, and few students who are as passionate about their endeavours. In addition to her full-time course load in computer science at UNB Saint John, she plays French horn for both the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra and the Saint John Youth Orchestra, both of which require hours of practice each week. She is an artist who has been working in recent years to publish her own comic and sell her art. And when she can, she likes to act in local theatre productions.
Lessa’s full schedule and regular orchestra travel make a part-time job nearly impossible, so she is grateful to have received this scholarship to help her make ends meet. “I would not have had time to get a job; things would have started falling through the cracks. I grew up really poor, and this money really helped.”
Looking forward, Lessa is excited about refining her focus on computer science in her upper-year courses. “I came to UNB for computer science courses!” she says. But she’s equally excited to take a comics course, and to continue honing her orchestral skills. Lessa’s diverse talents weave together in an extraordinary way, opening countless doors for her future.
