In a series of Black History Month initiatives at Western University, some exciting new scholarship opportunities have been announced for Black students who are Western-bound.
The university has introduced three new awards, each named after members of the Black community who demonstrated their commitment to education and social justice throughout their lives. Western’s Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion held an event this week to celebrate the scholarship’s namesakes as well as the 25 students who received these awards for the inaugural year.
“Western University is funding these scholarships to support our incoming Black students during their time at Western. Through these scholarships, Western has created a solid bridge for Black youth to enter post-secondary education and be prepared to take their rightful places building this country,” said Opiyo Oloya, Western’s associate vice-president of equity, diversity and inclusion.
The scholarships will be offered to both domestic and international students with a competitive average and who self-identify as Black in their application to Western.
Of the three novel awards, the most competitive is the James Jenkins President’s Entrance Scholarship for Black Students, which is worth a total of $50,000.
Jenkins was the founder and publisher of a newspaper for Black Canadians called The Dawn of Tomorrow. He also co-founded the Canadian League for the Advancement of Coloured People.
The James Jenkins President’s Entrance Scholarship for Black Students will be offered to five first-year students whose applications show their passion for learning, creative thinking, involvement in extracurriculars, and community service. Each recipient will receive $20,000 for their first year and $10,000 for years two, three, and four.
The Carmeta Thelma Hodges Western Continuing Admission Scholarship of Excellence for Black Students was named after a woman who, at 20-years-old, left Barbados to study nursing in Canada. Hodges graduated from Western University in 1965. She went on to work as a nurse in the Northwest Territories, a public health nurse in the city of London, and a professor of nursing at St. Lawrence College. One of Hodge’s most notable career accomplishments was being a founding member of the Ontario Nurses Association.
The Carmeta Thelma Hodges scholarship is offered to 10 students each year. Awardees receive $6,000 a year for four years, as well as $2,000 for an “optional study-abroad experience.”
The third scholarship introduced for 2022-2023 is the Lieutenant Colonel Kenneth Jacobs Western Continuing Admission Scholarship of Distinction for Black Students.
Jacobs served in the Royal Canadian Medical Corps during World War II. Afterwards, he graduated from Western University and became the first African Canadian man to be a front-line social worker in the Toronto Children’s Aid Society. Jacobs was also a pilot for the Royal Canadian Air Force before rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and becoming Canada’s first Black wing commander.
Ten students will be selected each year for Jacobs’ scholarship, which is worth $2,500 each year up to four years, and an additional $2,000 for study-abroad.
Western University has already began administering these awards, having chosen 25 Black students as recipients for 2022-2023. The names of the inaugural year awardees was not immediately available.
“These scholarships are more than financial support, they are the harbingers of closer, more fruitful and positive relationships with the Black community,” Oloya concluded.
