Twelve students to receive tuition funds and exclusive volunteer
experience abroad to support Free The Children
TORONTO, July 30, 2013 /CNW/ - RBC is recognizing twelve of Canada's
most civic-minded students with scholarships towards their
post-secondary tuition and a unique, hands-on, overseas Me to We Trip
experience to Kenya, where they will volunteer with the international
charity Free The Children.
Committed to supporting youth education, RBC is providing over $220,000
through the RBC Student Leading Change Scholarship Program to help break down a key financial barrier that many students face in
pursuing their academic goals selected from nearly 5,000 applicants.
Not only were this year's scholarship recipients recognized for their
excellence in academics, but the selection criteria had a greater
emphasis on civic and volunteer engagement than in previous years.
"Today's students have a strong interest in social good and inspiring
positive change both at home and in the world around them," said
Melissa Jarman, director, Student Banking, RBC Royal Bank. "At the same
time, students are challenged with juggling a number of priorities amid
rising tuition. We want to help these individuals by reducing their
financial stress so that they can focus on their academics and have the
opportunity to lead change through this unique experience."
According to Statistics Canada, undergraduate students paid $5,581 in
tuition fees in 2012/2013, up five per cent from a year earlier.
Meanwhile, dentistry students paid the highest average undergraduate
fees ($16,910), followed by students in medicine ($11,891).
Scholarships, including the RBC Students Leading Change Scholarship,
will greatly help offset some of the financial strain facing students
as they pursue their scholastic endeavors.
Six undergraduate scholarships, valued at $10,000 each, and six Medical
and Dental Student scholarships, valued at $15,000 each, will each be
paired with a Me to We Trip in summer 2014. Me to We Trips provide life changing experiences for youth, families, groups and
individuals in partnership with Free The Children. This trip will give recipients the opportunity to gain volunteer
experience through project building in a Free The Children community
overseas.
"The RBC Students Leading Change Scholarship recognizes and celebrates
hard working and passionate students who are creating positive change,
not only in their classrooms, but in their communities. Marc and I were
honoured to be a part of this year's panel of judges and were
incredibly inspired by the overwhelming number of submissions and the
stories behind them; each depicting the way each applicant can use
their background and their studies to make a difference in the world,"
said Craig Kielburger, co-founder, Free The Children.
2013 winners of the RBC Students Leading Change Scholarship Program (in
alphabetical order):
Undergraduate Scholarship
Meng Fei (Cathy) Li, Mississauga, Ontario
Tian Yang (Darren) Liu, Richmond, British Columbia
Milad Modabber, Hamilton, Ontario
Hayeong Rho, Calgary, Alberta
Jessica Warkentin, Abbotsford, British Columbia
Lauren Wilson, Coquitlam, British Columbia
Medical / Dental Scholarship
Jeeshan Chowdhury, Edmonton, Alberta
Sarah Fraser, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Pinky Gaidhu, Toronto, Ontario
Marius (Lawrence) Haiducu, Surrey, British Columbia
Aleena Mansoor, Calgary, Alberta
David Sanghyuck Kim, Nanaimo, British Columbia
About RBC Student Scholarships
RBC provides over $300,000 in annual scholarships, which includes the RBC Students Leading Change Scholarships for
Undergraduate Students and Medical and Dental Students, RBC Aboriginal
Student Awards Program and Scholarship Program for the Children of RBC
Employees. To date, RBC has awarded more than $5 million to over 2500 students.
RBC supports a broad range of community initiatives through donations,
sponsorships and employee volunteer activities. In 2012, we contributed
more than $95 million to causes worldwide, including donations and
community investments of more than $64 million and $31 million in
sponsorships.
SOURCE: RBC
