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Logan Sabean loves a good surprise.

Last spring, the St. Malachy’s High School graduate was met with one of the biggest surprises of his life when he found out he was the winner of the University of New Brunswick’s (UNB) annual First Year Tuition Free contest.

In as dramatic a fashion as Sabean himself had received the news, he arrived home, dropping a bag of UNB merch on his family’s kitchen table with a thud.

“I told my mom I won free first-year tuition and she almost had a heart attack,” he said. “She told my dad on the phone, who had to pull over because he was overwhelmed.”

It was during Sabean’s high school graduation rehearsal that the student recruitment officer at UNB in Saint John, Kate Shipley, came onstage to announce that Sabean had won the contest.

“I was shocked and it still hasn't hit me yet,” said Sabean. “But I think it'll hit once school starts.”

Sabean is slated to start his bachelor of arts studies at UNB’s Saint John campus this fall, with plans to major in political science. From there, he aims to go to law school or become a teacher.

Many students experience the stress of financially supporting themselves through university. For Sabean, the most important aspect of this award is that it helped him move past his worry about the future and pursue his academic goals.

“This [award] is a really big boost for me because I don't come from money. Being able to have a bit of a soft landing for my first year of university has been massive,” said Sabean.

The sky’s the limit

Sabean has been involved with sports since he was young. Often, Sabean’s football and basketball games were hosted at the Saint John campus, where he participated either as a player or referee.

The recent St. Malachy’s graduate feels the excitement of finally getting to immerse himself in the campus he’s gotten to know over the years.

In high school, Sabean was an advanced placement student and really enjoyed the collaborative relationships he developed with his teachers.

“I love the relationships you can develop with teachers in the smaller classes at a higher education level,” said Sabean. “It's nice to have that going into a small-campus university. There's a lot more opportunities to develop and learn from.”

After years of stepping onto campus for short tournaments, Sabean will finally experience life as a first-year student at UNB’s Saint John campus this fall.

With so much ahead in his future and his financial worries alleviated by the free tuition award, he hopes to get involved with extracurricular sports groups, co-op opportunities and the political science society.

“I know that UNB is a great university. I know the level of education there is amazing,” he said. “I'm excited to get a higher education experience.”