Ted Rogers School bursary supports next generation of Black business leaders
A new generation of Black Canadian business leaders is finding support and a place to learn and network at the Ted Rogers School of Management through the newly-established TRSM Anti-Black Racism Awareness Bursary.
This bursary provides financial support to incoming first year students in any Ted Rogers School undergraduate degree program and who self-identify as Black. It was established in an attempt to partially redress the historical inequities in access to post-secondary education in Canada experienced by Black students, and in particular those who reside in our underprivileged, high-risk, communities within the Greater Toronto Area. The bursary awards three recipients $10,000 each (entrance only, non-renewable).
“Despite having marks which qualify them for entry into our B.Comm degree program, these students would typically have struggled to afford the cost of an education at Toronto Metropolitan University,” says Dr. Carlyle Farrell, Associate Professor, Global Management Studies and co-chair of the TRSM Anti-Black Racism Awareness Committee (ABRAC), a standing committee of the school’s Faculty Council which established the bursary.
In addition to demonstrating financial need, applicants for the TRSM Anti-Black Racism Awareness Bursary need to provide a written statement reflecting on their experience as a Black high school student, including the challenges faced, steps taken to overcome those challenges and how the bursary is expected to contribute to the completion of the student’s post-secondary education. They should also provide information on any paid or volunteer work done in the Black community.
The inaugural bursaries were awarded in the 2021-22 academic year to Abner Negaye (Business Management), Shuaib Mohamed (Global Management Studies) and Terel Leslie (Human Resources Management). Hear each of the recipients speak about what winning the award means to them, their first year experience at the Ted Rogers School and their advice for fellow Black students:
“Listening to the inaugural recipients of these bursaries reinforced for me the importance of this work,” says Dr. Farrell. “I was listening to the next generation of Black Canadian business leaders who are poised to make a difference in society. They each exuded such confidence, drive and determination to succeed that it left no doubt in my mind that they have tremendous potential.”
“ABRAC needs to continue to support and encourage these students in every way possible,” he adds. “I am extremely grateful to the members of our Scholarships and Bursaries sub-committee for the rigor and thoughtfulness exercised in selecting these three recipients.”
“I also want to express my gratitude to Dean Daphne Taras for her financial support and participation in the awards ceremony,” Dr. Farrell says. “ABRAC intends to continue to offer these bursaries every year to deserving incoming Black students. We also plan to explore opportunities to provide financial support to our Black students who are in the upper years of our undergraduate degree program and, down the road, to our MBA and PhD students as well. There is still a lot of work to be done.”
Applications for the TRSM Anti-Black Racism Awareness Bursary for the 2022-23 academic year open in August 2022. For information on how to apply, visit our Student Awards page and click on Faculty-Wide Awards.