Scholarships

University of New Brunswick
supporting students from Cameroon pursuing technology-related degrees at UNB
On August 31, 2023, the University of New Brunswick’s McKenna Institute and Pascal Siakam’s PS43 Foundation announced the creation of the Pascal Siakam Scholarship, a new award designed to support students from Cameroon pursuing technology-related degrees at UNB. The scholarship, which offers an $8,000 award, honors Pascal’s father, Tchamo Siakam, and is aimed at students enrolled in programs such as Bachelor of Computer Science, Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, and Bachelor of Science in Software Engineering. It is designed to recognize academic achievement, with financial need being a secondary consideration. The initiative underscores Siakam’s belief in the transformative power of education, especially as he recalls his father’s advice that “no one can take away your education.”
Siakam, a Toronto Raptors star originally from Cameroon, emphasized the importance of education as a long-term asset, particularly in the face of challenges like rising housing costs that many students face in Canada. The scholarship will provide Cameroonian students with financial relief, enabling them to focus on their studies without the burden of financial stress.
The announcement was made in partnership with Frank McKenna, founder of the McKenna Institute, who challenged others to join in supporting Cameroonian students in their academic journey. This scholarship initiative reflects a broader commitment to fostering leadership and academic success, particularly in the fields of technology, among students from Cameroon and beyond.
Toronto Metropolitan University Law
Expanding the reach of the Summer Experience Projects program
Toronto Metropolitan University announced that, thanks to a generous donation from Pascal Siakam and the PS43 Foundation Canada, students at the Lincoln Alexander School of Law had the opportunity this past summer to gain meaningful and paid work experiences with several organizations working towards positive social change.
The support of Mr. Siakam through the foundation allowed Canada’s newest law school to broaden the reach of its Summer Experience Projects program to include organizations that otherwise would not have been able to engage students in summer roles and are often underrepresented as career options to young lawyers. These summer positions typically involve working with frontline organizations that assist Indigenous, racialized, and other equity-deserving communities who are facing poverty, discrimination, or other systemic barriers to the legal system and/or education, social and mental health services.
Due to financial constraints, these social justice organizations often cannot afford to pay for summer student positions, and so opportunities for law students to learn from and lend their skills to these organizations remain quite limited. The support of PS43 Foundation Canada helped bridge this gap, creating a win/win proposition for both the students and the organizations.
