Two Montreal university students are being recognized for their strong academic performance and community involvement.
Montreal students Mathem Maluak and Mallory Lowe Mpoka are among the 20 RBC Future Launch Black Youth Scholarship recipients.
Each scholarship adds up to $10,000 per year (up to four years) towards academic and other living expenses.
The award aims to reduce barriers to post-secondary education and training for Canadian Black youth.
'SOMETHING EXCITING'
Mathem Maluak's journey to Montreal began in South Sudan, then Kenya. Now, he's majoring in civil engineering at McGill.
"I applied to the University of Toronto. I applied to the U.S., to Harvard, and to the U.K., to Oxford, and I was lucky to get McGill," he told CTV News.
"I'm glad that I'm here, it's been a different lifestyle and adapting to the community, and it's just something exciting."
Alongside his full course load, Maluak is vice-president academic of the National Society of Black Engineers' McGill chapter.
"We go to junior high schools, middle schools, we talk to kids from minorities and tell them it's possible to get into engineering."
'A BIG RELIEF'
Mallory Mpoka is in her second year of fine arts at Concordia University. She says her strong portfolio helped draw the judge's attention.
"They were impressed with my curriculum and my community work, both locally and abroad, as well as in Cameroon and on the African continent," she explained.
She said the scholarship will help her concentrate on her craft.
"It will definitely have me focus more on my studio art program," she said. "I'm also working a day job at an artist-run centre, so not having to worry too much about over-working or working side gigs to pay rent and finance my studies, that's a big relief."
SUPPORTING STUDENTS
Both Mpoka and Maluak thanked the DESTA Black Community Network for helping them get noticed by RBC.
"Part of our mission is to support students who have academic and vocational goals," said DESTA counsellor Scott Clyke. "There's a lot of scholarships that people apply for each year. Not all of them are for black individuals who are excelling in their course of study."
Pairing people with possibilities, DESTA also has a scholarship program for students.
"They have a lot of connections, they're very active in their community. Some of them have some semi-professional projects that they're unrolling as they student, and we just provide financial support so they can continue to rise."
