Reason One scholarships and mentorship for three Ontarians
October 2, 2022
Extremely busy in the first-semester of Toronto Metropolitan University’s (TMU) Master of Digital Media 12-month program, Ricia Paul aborted the Reason One Mentorship & Scholarship Program (ROMSP) application procedure.
Sensing there might be a problem, Laura Reyes-Grange – a Digital Strategist with the company since October 2018 -- reached out to the 34-year-old Tobagonian.
“She sent me an email saying, ‘We saw you began the application, please let me know if you have any questions and we have extended the deadline,” Paul related.
With the cut-off date moved beyond her first semester, she was able to complete her required course work and return to the application.
“I told the truth about my life and circumstances and just left it like that,” said Paul. “I got a follow-up request for an interview and everything just went well for me after that.”
She is among three Ontarians accepted into the ROMSP for Black students between the ages of 17 and 35 enrolled or recently accepted in a digital disciplined program, pursuing or with plans to take up a career in the tech field.
The program is open to students in the province and South Carolina where the company has offices.
“The mentorship aspect really appealed to me and I made that clear in my interview,” said Paul whose Master’s research revolves around the motivation for people to join LinkedIn. “That is valuable and I am really excited about learning from accomplished people in the field and being engaged in networking.”
Arriving in Canada in July 2021 through the Express Entry program with four suitcases and no family members in this country, she is very grateful for the opportunity.
“As someone new here and being a Black woman, I knew I would have to work very hard to get to there I want to be,” said Paul who is outspoken. “So, to get this opportunity just over a year after being in Canada is something I don’t take for granted.”
The last of three children graduated from the Caribbean School of Media & Communication (CARIMAC) in Jamaica. She specialized in Film & Television Production.
Ricia Paul (Photo by Ron Fanfair)
Returning to Tobago in 2010, Paul served in various communications and marketing roles, worked in theatre and completed a Master’s in Strategic Marketing at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business in Trinidad & Tobago.
Before coming to Canada to pursue graduate studies, she was the Marketing Manager at Shaw Park Cultural Complex (SPCC) that was commissioned in March 2015
“Ricia is a gem for any organization and I look forward to hearing great things about her,” said Tobago Festivals Commission Chief Executive Officer John Arnold who was the complex’s Executive Co-ordinator for seven years until September 2021. “She is one those persons who is willing to learn at every moment and constantly has ideas flowing and throwing at you. The Reason One program will redound to her benefit, the country and the world.”
Very ill and hospitalized, Breslau resident Rochelle Drummond almost missed the April 11 deadline.
“At the last moment, I completed the application, sent it in and completely forgot about it until I received an email saying I was a finalist,” the Information Technology Service Technician said. “To get the scholarship is exciting, but I am very thrilled about the mentorship piece and the opportunities that provide. To have someone guide you in pursuit of your goals is priceless. I will definitely use this program to push myself to grow and, in the process, encourage Black boys and girls to pursue technology.”
Rochelle Drummond (Photo contributed)
Graduating in 2017 with an associate degree in Computer Programming from Conestoga College, Drummond is enrolled in Thompson Rivers University Bachelor of Computer Science program.
She expects to graduate late next year or early in 2024.
The 28-year-old credits older brother Kevin Drummond as her inspiration to explore technology. A few years ago, he presented his sister with a Game Boy Advance that is a 32-bit handheld game console.
“That turned into my first Apple iPod Touch,” added Drummond who aspires to be a User Experience designer.
Tiana Nelson, 26, is among the large exodus of healthcare workers who recently quit the profession.
“I was not enjoying the job anymore,” the Father Leo J Austin Secondary School graduate said. “Also, having children and working 12-hour shifts were no longer feasible as I found I was spending less time with them.”
While using social media to find scholarship opportunities, Nelson located the program.
“I hope to learn more about the tech field and how to navigate it as a Black woman,” she said.
Switching careers worried her parents.
“They had concerns about me leaving what they consider to be a stable and traditional profession for something they are not sure about,” Nelson noted. “With me receiving good grades in courses I have done in the last year and this scholarship, they have come around to understanding the changes I am trying to make for myself and family and are supportive. It is so nice to have that.”
Tiana Nelson (Photo by Ron Fanfair)
She and her partner have three children, ranging in age from five years to eight months. In 2019, they lost a son who was born prematurely.
With a Diploma in Practical Nursing and four years of progressive experience in various health care settings, Nelson switched to Professional Communication and is enrolled in TMU’s Bachelor of Arts program.
Reason One conducted 12 interviews before selecting the three winners.
“The selection process was challenging because all the applicants, we felt, were deserving,” said selection committee member Reyes-Grange. “They would all benefit from their mentors. I still have my mentor that I reach out to when I need help about navigating my career. Many of them have had to overcome high barriers to get to where they are at and they don’t have a support system or networks. What stood out about Ricia, Rochelle and Tiana is their aspirations to work in the tech industry. They have their eyes on the prize. I feel that we are so fortunate to be working with these three women. They are going to do amazing things and I am so excited for them.”
The recipients will take part in a virtual Development Day, mock interviews with Reason One team members and be exposed to a panel discussion with the company’s staff members who will share their experiences of navigating college or university and the tech industry.
Consisting multiple monthly meetings and ongoing support, the mentor/mentee relationship lasts a year.
Reyes-Grange said the realty of police brutality in Canada and the United States, the Black Lives Matter Movement and the disproportionate effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on marginalized communities were the impetus for the program.
“After George Floyd’s murder, I was quite critical of all companies who were putting out statements pledging solidarity with the Black community,” she said. “Black tech workers make up just 2.6 per cent in Canada’s tech industry and seven per cent in the United States and they had to do something tangible if they wanted to stand in solidarity and make an impact.”
The response was not what she expected from her organization.
“I thought they were going to say, ‘Good idea Lauren’ and put it on the backburner,” she said. “Instead, they came back to me saying they have a budget of $15,000 and they will invest in the program.”
Each participant will receive $5,000.
“What makes this program different is that it is needs-based,” Reyes-Grange, the daughter of media executives Hamlin Grange and Cynthia Reyes, added. “It is not based on academic achievement or high grades. It is about the recipients’ financial needs and their aspirations to work in the tech industry.”
This is the second cohort of ROMSP participants.
“We are consistently impressed with the level of talent, drive, innovation and energy that each class of mentees brings to the process,” said Reason One Founding Partner Ben Cash. “This year was no different and we had a very tough time selecting our finalists among a strong group of applicants. These three women are already poised to do great things in the tech industry and we are humbled to be part of their journey.”
