RBC scholarships for young people to pursue their career goals

March 28, 2022

The fear of student loan debt haunted Jenell Parkes for several years.

Graduating from West Humber Collegiate Institute in 2014, she desperately wanted to pursue higher education. With a young child and working two jobs, going back to school was put on hold.

When Parkes lost her full-time position because of the pandemic, she used the downtime to focus on her career goal.

“I always wanted to be a nurse,” she said. “Growing up, I was intrigued when visiting the doctor’s office. I asked questions about why the doctor did certain things and willingly helped with applying Band-Aid on my siblings after they were given their immunization shots. I also took home pamphlets from the doctor’s office and did my own little research to learn more.”

Having a mother who is a dedicated health care professional was also a huge inspiration for Parkes.

“She works in a long-term care facility and did double shifts during the pandemic,” the single mom of two children said. “There were times she would come home and just throw herself on the couch. She was so drained and I really admired her commitment to her job during this difficult period.”

In preparation to enroll in Centennial College’s two-year Practical Nursing program, Parkes did academic upgrading at Seneca College.

She starts the program in September with the burden of repaying student loans lifted off her shoulders.

Parkes is among the first cohort of 20 recipients of the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) Future Launch Black Youth Scholarship program designed to serve the unique needs of Black Canadians preparing for the future of work.

The scholarships are each valued at up to $10,000 annually for up to four years.

“This financial assistance is a huge help for me,” she noted. “I can now focus on my education without having to worry about where the money is going to come from to buy books and travel to and from school.”

Migrating from Nigeria with her family three years ago, Eghemen Ehiagwina knew opportunities existed for her to flourish academically and professionally. As a newcomer, she also was aware there would be challenges and she would need support.

Eghemen Ehiagwina (Photo by Ron Fanfair)

Completing high school in 2020 at Georges Vanier Secondary School, she started post-secondary studies a few months later at York University.

Ehiagwina is enrolled in the Financial & Business Economics program designed for students with an interest in understanding how financial markets work.

Winning the scholarship is a big boost for her.

“With just a few years under our belt in Canada, my family is still seeking some stability in this country,” she said. “I was doing two-part time jobs while going to university just to make ends meet. This scholarship will assist greatly.”

She aspires to work for an international organization analyzing global economic frameworks.

“Back in Nigeria, I see a lot of potential,” said Ehiagwina. “There is a lot of human capital and resources everywhere, yet most people are struggling financially. The program that I am involved in will give me a better understating of things like why is it that Nigeria, as Africa’s biggest oil producer, imports fuel and why the country has such a large budget deficit. Just trying to get a better grasp of those dynamics was the main reason I took up this program.”

The Careers Education Empowerment Centre (CEE) for Young Black Professionals nominated Parkes and Ehiagwina for the scholarships.

Gilberte Sika, a social worker at the centre, was part of the selection committee.

Gilberta Sika (Photo by Ron Fanfair)

“We had about 10 applicants, but our organization could only nominate five,” the 2010 York University graduate said. “I had the opportunity to go through their transcripts and their personal statements and, in so doing, understand their passions which was rewarding.”

The CEE was one of 12 community partner organizations involved in the nominating process. A selection committee comprising Black leaders from academic, business and on-profit backgrounds evaluated the nominated students.

In addition to funding, the 20 students will receive access to mentorship, academic and career planning, tutoring and internship/networking opportunities.

“We were truly inspired by the exceptional candidates who shared with us their unique stories and their incredible ambitions to make an impact in their communities,” said Mark Beckles, RBC’s Vice-President with responsibility for Social Impact & Innovation. “Thanks to our strong community partnerships across the country, we worked together to identify 20 inspiring individuals and provide them with resources and support to help them pursue their chosen career path.”

Mark Beckles (Photo by Ron Fanfair)

The scholarships were made possible through donations from the RBC Foundation in support of the RBC Future Launch that is a 10-year, $500 million commitment to empower Canadian youths to be successful societal citizens. With a focus on networking, skills development, practical work experience and mental wellbeing supports and services, the initiative aims to help dismantle the barriers young people face.

The CEE is a Youth Challenge Fund legacy initiative created in response to the ‘Summer of the Gun’ in 2005 in which here were 80 homicides in the city.

Dr. Kofi Hope started the organization in 2012 and was the Executive Director up until 2018.

Shereen Ashman, who joined the CEE in 2013, is the Director of Education & Programs.

Shereen Ashman (Photo by Ron Fanfair)

The organization provides programs that address the social and economic barriers facing Black youth, mainly from challenged communities.

“What we try to do is cultivate Black youth talent to fill labour market gaps,” said Ashman who has a Master of Arts in Adult Education & Community Development. “We have three pathways, one of which is employment that we have really focused on in the last eight years. At the moment, we are working to standardize our curriculum for national and international licensing. We are proud that a curriculum of ours is able to cultivate talent like Jenell and Egehemen. I am passionate about the education pathway and looking at opportunities to build that out in a meaningful way. That’s why I am super proud of these two young ladies that are getting financial help for their higher learning journey.”

Gun violence changed the trajectory of Ashman’s life.

In 2002 while attending a friend’s 30th birthday celebration outdoors in Scarborough during the summer, she was among four people that suffered gunshot injuries.

Hit in the leg by a bullet that broke a bone, Ashman – who was nominated for ‘Torontonian of the Year’ in 2016 – spent eight months recovering from the injury.

“Immediately after recovery, I enrolled in Centennial College’s Social Work program,” she pointed out. “I started to ask questions like, ‘Why did this happen’ and what is going on in our community’? I had two choices. I was either going to be part of the solution or part of the problem.”

By choosing to be proactive, Ashman is leading change.

Gilberta Sika (l), Eghemen Ehiagwina, Shereen Ashman & Jenell Parkes (Photo by Ron Fanfair)