Standing out from the crowd: President's Entrance Scholarship recipients share their stories

Ironically, it was while searching the internet for post-secondary scholarships during a pandemic lock-down that first-year business management student William Diao came up with the idea for an online platform to help small businesses, a project that formed the basis of his successful President's Entrance Scholarship application.

The platform he was inspired to create, mygrant.ca (external link) , was created to help small business owners navigate COVID relief grants, in particular entrepreneurs who were also newcomers to Canada. 

“My friend’s father really struggled with accessing the government website for small business grants and loans because there was a lot of jargon, and English wasn't his first language,” says Diao. “My friend and I thought we could try to help solve this issue for small businesses during the pandemic, the way scholarship platforms were aggregating awards for students.”

Community engaged leadership

The President's Entrance Scholarships are awarded to 12 secondary school graduates starting their first year at Toronto Metropolitan University who demonstrate academic accomplishment, leadership qualities, original thought and creative ability. Recipients receive a renewable $10,000 annually over four years. 

“Toronto Metropolitan University is committed to providing access to education. We are pleased to be able to support students like these who have made such an impact in their communities,” says TMU President and Vice-Chancellor Mohamed Lachemi. "We know that post-secondary education transforms lives, and these entrance scholarships will play a significant role in helping students achieve their dreams."

The scholarship has taken the burden of tuition off Diao’s and his parents’ shoulders.

“My parents were very worried about how the cost of university, especially one located downtown, would impact our financial situation,” says Diao. “This scholarship is a blessing. It has given me an amazing opportunity to focus on my studies, continue to learn and pursue my own projects, and it’s given me a brighter and more optimistic outlook on the future.” 

The experience of creating and running the grant finding platform also allowed Diao to bring his real life business insights to his studies and be able to critically engage with the material taught in his classes. 

He is eager to connect with like-minded students on campus. “What I'm most looking forward to is finding an entrepreneurial community,” says Diao.

Community solidarity

For first-year financial mathematics student Abigail Willie, it was important not to interpret the Black Lives Movement protests in 2020 with rose-coloured glasses when she took on a creative assignment for her high school visual arts class. 

She carefully balanced hope and gravity in her creative interpretation, a painting of silhouetted protestors reflected in the eye of a witness. “I wanted to show how BLM was bringing people together, rather than letting it divide us,” says Willie.

Her instructor also made students aware of a juried photography and art exhibition in partnership with the Dufferin County Canadian Black Association (DCCBA) and the Museum of Dufferin (MOD) for Black History Month that was accepting submissions. The theme of the exhibit was ‘solidarity in my community’, in relation to the social justice movement in Canada and around the world in the summer of 2020. Willie entered her work, Eyes on the Allies, and won the student award.

Winners were announced during a live YouTube streaming of a "Solidarity In My Community" Panel Discussion with Juno Award winners Kardinal Offishall and Maestro Fresh Wes, actor Kevin Hanchard, poet Nadine Williams, DCCBA president Alethia O’Hara Stephenson, and the Honourable Jean Augustine, among others.

“Because it was 2021, everything took place virtually,” says Willie. “The exhibition was online and I was in high school completely online. However, the feedback I got was positive. My teacher saw the deep meaning that the painting had. And my family was very proud of me.”

Managing risk

Willie is pursuing studies in financial mathematics to achieve her goal of becoming an actuary,  a professional who measures and manages risk, usually in the insurance industry. 

However, the program is broadly focused, so for Willie it opens up other career possibilities in similar fields, unlike a specific actuarial science program would. “My program won't restrict me. It'll let me explore other job opportunities that I might not have considered,” she says.

Willie is also happy she’s at a university located in the heart of downtown Toronto. “When it comes to pursuing a profession in business and finance, Toronto is a good place to be,” she says.

What’s ahead

For Willie, receiving the scholarship was very impactful. She says it not only helped to relieve financial stress, but will also help pay for the numerous exams she’ll need to take to qualify as an actuary. It was also significant that she was guaranteed a spot in residence as part of the benefits of the award, and is enjoying making friendships in her new home as well as in her classes.

Congratulations to all 12 2022-23 scholarship recipients who demonstrate creativity, leadership, originality and academic accomplishment in spades.

TMU recognizes the academic achievements of the first-year class upon admission to the university with over $10 million designated for entrance scholarship support.

For more information on scholarships, visit Toronto Metropolitan University scholarships and awards.