William Stratton is a Grade 12 student currently attending Gold River Secondary school on North Vancouver Island.

Last year, this talented young man won the $2,000 BCIC Young Innovator Scholarship for his work building a steam-powered miniature working copy of a Stirling engine using a pop can. A Stirling engine is a heat engine that operates by repeated compression and expansion of air or other gases at different temperatures.

The BCIC awards are handed out to grades 11 and 12 students who have developed a science and technology innovation with the potential to benefit the province.

Will’s successful project led him to the regional science fair where he placed second overall. Because of his accomplishments, he was selected to represent the North Island in the Canada Wide Science Fair in New Brunswick last May.

Although he did not receive an award this year, he made quite an impression on all the judges with the engine he built. He received positive feedback from the judges, who were extremely impressed with his in-depth knowledge about engines.

Will is originally from Sooke. After he graduates this summer, he will be return back to south Vancouver Island to attend Camosun College in Victoria, where he is enrolled in the highly sought-after mechanical engineering program.

Will's abstract for the Canada Wide Science Fair –

“The Stirling engine is an interesting machine, which operates through the expansion and contraction properties of air. These engines require a significant thermal differential in order to function. I wanted to study the different forms of the Stirling engine with the hopes of creating a viable prototype. A Stirling engine's ability to pump fluids has interesting applications in the medical field.”

Katrina Kornylo, teacher and Will's science fair mentor, Gold River Secondary –

“Will is a very unique student who has an amazing ability to problem solve any situation. He does not get frustrated easily and will continue trying different approaches to solve a problem. He will make a remarkable engineer one day.”

Learn more about B.C. student success stories.