“Youth who have been overlooked in a lot of different areas are finally getting a chance to have themselves be seen and heard.”
On Feb. 14, second-year conflict studies and human rights student, Nonso Morah, was named one of 20 recipients of the $10,000 per year (up to four years) RBC Future Launch Scholarship for Black Youth.
The annual scholarship is awarded to Black youth aged 15-29 entering grade eleven or twelve, or enrolled in postsecondary education for the current academic year, with cohort recipients receiving mentorship and support services catered to the specific educational and career needs of Black Canadian students, in addition to the financial prize.
For Morah, who is originally from Alberta, the scholarship will help alleviate some of the financial burden associated with studying in Ontario.
“It was a really great experience to be able to be selected as one of the recipients of the scholarship. I am an out-of-province student, so it is a bit more expensive to pay to go to school here,” said Morah in an interview with the Fulcrum.
“It allows me to spend more time focusing on the things I really like to do. Besides trying to get ready to pay for school and focusing on getting all my tuition and stuff sorted out,” she added.
To be considered for the award, students must be nominated by one of fifteen RBC partner organizations. Morah’s candidacy was submitted by the Council of Canadians of African and Caribbean Heritage (CCACH).
“From there you go through a screening process. And then you are dwindled down to the top 40. The top 40 [do] an interview with various stakeholders across Canada, then they select their top 20.”
Alongside her studies at the University of Ottawa, Morah is a program coordinator for the 1834 Fellowship, a non-profit based in Toronto, and is the Parliamentary Assistant to Senator Paula Simons.
“I’ve had an opportunity to see a variety of different spaces that I am interested in and it’s helped me guide a lot of the things I want to do and push forward. I get to participate in a lot of events and meet a lot of stakeholders who can give me a lot of important information about things I’m currently studying.”
“The fellowship is a national program, meaning I work a lot with people across Canada. So we have fellows who are in BC, to Alberta, to Ontario. So it’s about learning how to coordinate and facilitate discussion… building program material that kind of works for everyone across Canada, and not just specifically for one region.”
In light of both Black History Month and Women’s History Month, Morah said she appreciates how the award empowers youth that have been overlooked.
“I’m also a poet in Ottawa and Toronto. And I’ve been able to share a lot of my experiences through my work, especially in these last few months. The scholarship is just another icing on top that allows me to be able to continue my creative work just as much as my career. I do think that at times, especially black women, we are forced to sacrifice a lot of the things we appreciate, love and adore, because we’re on a pursuit of success.”
Click here to read the full list of 2023 RBC Future Launch Scholarship for Black Youth recipients.
