Investing in Students

Every year, Ryerson University makes an investment in promising new students, with scholarships to foster the next generation of excellence. The President’s National Entrance Scholarship is awarded to a select group of incoming Ryerson students who have demonstrated outstanding academic accomplishment, creativity, and leadership qualities.

Brian Riback, a Hospitality and Tourism major starting his first year at Ryerson, is one of the 2016 recipients. “A big appeal of Ryerson is the community: it attracts people who are open about who they are, and people here are accepting of differences. I also like the vibe of the school: it’s creative and laid-back, but also very contemporary.”

The President’s National Entrance Scholarship awards $10,000 per year to six students, renewable each year provided the student maintains a GPA of at least 3.67.

“Ryerson is committed to providing access to education and we are proud to support top students like Brian,” said Ryerson President and Vice-Chancellor Mohamed Lachemi. "We know that post-secondary education transforms lives and this entrance scholarship gives the next generation of young people an opportunity to have exceptional experiences.”

At his high school in Vancouver, Riback was president of the Gender and Sexuality Alliance, where he spearheaded a video project to highlight issues of homophobia and discrimination. “I just really love supporting people in any way that I can. I’m in the creative community, a lot of people identify as LGBTQ+, so I felt like I was already involved in it from the start. It was a way to show my support more, and to help the lives of people in the community.”

With the Alliance, he also helped organize a weeklong series of events devoted to LGBTQ+ awareness and support, which took place towards the end of his Grade 12 year. “It was a big part of the school year, and it made a big impact on a lot of people’s understanding. That’s probably my proudest moment.

“The main evolution I saw was people’s understanding of gender and sexuality. A lot of people just don’t have the education or even the knowledge that there are other genders than just male and female and that people can be something other than gay or straight. It was interesting to see people learn more about it, and through that become more open-minded.”

When asked what receiving the The President’s National Entrance scholarship means to him, Riback said, “It is nice to have recognition for the fact that these events occurred. It’s not about what I did, or how I got involved—it’s about the impact that I contributed to.”

Looking to his future at Ryerson, Riback said, “I hope to further my education about diversity, about gender, about sexuality, about anything that makes people unique.”

This year’s other scholarships were awarded to Reanna Merlin (Nursing), Sherina Harris (Journalism), Paulina Panus (Architectural Science), Liana Martin (Film Studies), and Alexandra Fogel (Financial Mathematics).

2017 applications for Ryerson scholarships are now open. For more information, go to ryerson.ca/undergraduate/admission/scholarships.