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RBC announces the 20th annual RBC Aboriginal
Student Awards Program recipients
Application period for 2013 opens December 1, 2012
TORONTO, November 26, 2012 - RBC today announced the
10 recipients of the 2012 RBC Aboriginal Student Awards Program,
selected from over 500 applicants who are pursuing post-secondary
education.
"With the Aboriginal population growing nearly six times
faster than the general population, it's never been more important
for Aboriginal youth to overcome the financial obstacles that
prevent them from pursuing higher education," said Chinyere
Eni, national director, Aboriginal Markets, RBC. "With
the right resources and educational support, Aboriginal youth
can contribute to Canada's economic prosperity."
As part of RBC's ongoing commitment to support Aboriginal
youth in their education journey, the scholarship has successfully
encouraged many Aboriginal youth to fulfill their career aspirations
and give back to their community.
Amanda Carling, a 2010 award recipient and a student at the
University of Toronto Faculty of Law, aspires to practice
criminal law and eventually help remedy the root causes for
the troubling problem she observed first-hand, in a Manitoba
youth court.
"While job shadowing a judge for a criminology course
at the University of Manitoba, I couldn't help but wonder
why so many Aboriginal youth were before the courts,"
said Carling. "It was on that day that I decided to become
a lawyer and help my community. Without the support of the
RBC award, I wouldn't be where I am today."
Carling now sits on the board of Aboriginal Legal Services
of Toronto, participated in the Faculty of Law's Aboriginal
Youth Summer Program in 2012, to encourage Aboriginal youth
to pursue law, and is articling with the Association in Defence
of the Wrongly Convicted.
"Over the past 20 years we have seen a dramatic increase
not only in the number of Aboriginal students pursuing post-secondary
education, but also those working toward graduate and post-graduate
studies," Corinne Mount Pleasant-Jetté, president
and CEO, Mount Pleasant Educational Services Inc., one of
the originators of the RBC Aboriginal Student Awards Program
and a member of the Order of Canada. "Scholarships will
continue to boost Aboriginal success in the post-secondary
system and help bridge the education gap between Aboriginal
communities and the rest of Canada."
This year's recipients are:
- Gerald Anawak, Nanaimo, BC (Nunavut Beneficiary)
Vancouver Island School,
Geography & Digital Media GIS
- Zachary Azure, Saskatoon, SK
(Métis Nation-Saskatchewan)
University of Saskatchewan, Kinesiology
- Chantal Dienstbier, Anola, MB
(Manitoba Métis Federation)
University of Winnipeg, Business Administration
- Russell Evans, Kingston, ON
(Matachewan First Nation)
Queens University, Management/Accounting
- Vanessa Fladmark, Vancouver, BC
(Old Masset Village Council)
University of British Columbia, Bachelor of Science
- Matthew George, Burnaby, BC (Anishinaabeg of Naongashiing
First Nation)
British Columbia Institute of Technology, Construction
Management
- Marc Labelle, North Bay, ON
(Métis Nation of Ontario)
Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Doctor of Medicine
- Marlene McDougall, Winnipeg, MB
(St. Theresa Point First Nation)
Red River College, Business Administration
- Brittany Smith, Strathmore, AB
(Métis Nation of Alberta)
University of Saskatchewan, Veterinary Medicine
- Farrah Stevens, Eastern Passage, NS
(Pictou Landing First Nation)
Saint Mary's University, Environmental Sciences
Since the RBC Aboriginal Student Awards Program was launched
in 1992, over $1.2 million dollars has been awarded to 118
First Nations, Inuit and Métis students across Canada
pursuing post-secondary education. Each year, the RBC Aboriginal
Student Awards Program provides $4,000 annually, for a maximum
of four years, to 10 students pursuing a post-secondary education.
Applications for 2013 will be accepted from December 1, 2012
to February 28, 2013. Eligibility criteria and more information
can be found at rbc.com/careers/aboriginal_student_awards.
About RBC and Aboriginal Canadians
RBC has a proud history of strong relationships with Aboriginal
peoples. We are committed to serving Aboriginal governments,
communities, organizations, businesses and individuals by
creating opportunities for sustainable economic development
through: access to banking and capital; community and social
development; employment, education and training; and procurement.
RBC also provides donations and grants that support Aboriginal
interests in three key areas: the environment, specifically
water; youth literacy and education; and culture and heritage.
For more information about these programs and more, visit
rbcroyalbank.com/aboriginal
and click on "A Chosen Journey Annual Report".
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For more information, please contact:
Angela Harkey,
905-816-5650
Margie McNeil,
905-606-1425
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