Leasider makes a difference one child at a time
Saswati Deb is $60,000 richer.
No the Grade 12 Leaside High School student just didn’t win the lottery, but she did hit an educational jackpot being granted a TD Canada Trust Scholarship for Community Leadership. Deb was among 20 young people honoured by the financial group. The scholarship program, which covers tuition and living expenses over four years of post-secondary education, is now in its ninth year awarding more than $10 million to well-deserving students across Canada.
"TD is just an example for all companies across the world because they give opportunities to children that have done so much," said the enthusiastic Deb, who was recognized for a number of initiatives she has either spearheaded, or been a part of.
"It’s one of the only companies, I find, that rewards students for not only doing well in school and not only doing well in one aspect, but the whole package and that’s why I find the people at TD are absolutely phenomenal; they’re amazing people."
Deb, who plans on studying political science at either the University of Toronto, Carleton or the new University of Ontario en route to becoming a criminal lawyer and then one day working with the United Nations, is the founder of the Toronto Bengali Youth Committee, which promotes volunteerism and tutors immigrant children from all nations. As well this past year, she partnered with the Toronto Calcutta Foundation in heading up a event that raised 30,000 rupees for illiterate children in India. Of course, she then went on to become the first Toronto-Scarborough chapter youth president — it was the group’s first chapter ever — making her the first president ever.
Deb is also on her school’s outreach committee — which promotes anti-violence and anti-racism planning 300 seminars for 300 elementary school students— and last year went to a United Nations conference where she was among 250 youth delegates, from all over the world, representing Canada. She placed 18th in the public speaking competition of the conference. And she is also in the midst of planning a Toronto-wide, youth talent show that will aim to raise $5,000 for disadvantaged youth, later this August.
And to top it all off, Deb is the president of the Sunnybrook Hospital Student Volunteer Committee.
"A couple of years back I took a trip to India and I realized that there was a lot of poverty and a lot impoverished children there and I came home to my own community and realized that the Bengali youth here weren’t doing enough to help other people, even though they had so much more and they were taking so much for granted," she said of why she chose this path for herself. Deb and her family originally came to Canada from Calcutta, India in 1990.
"So what I did was founded the Toronto Bengali Youth Committee, which is a committee that involves youth from across Toronto and we get together and promote volunteerism and what we also do is tutor different children from other countries and help them adjust to being here.
"We work with children that come from all over the place and just to help them, because it’s really hard when you don’t know English and you don’t really know the basics of anything and so these students help to create the fundamental background for them so that they have someone to help them, like a homework buddy, adjust."
TD recognized the 20 youth at a special ceremony at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel.
Awarding more than $1 million each year, the TD Canada Trust Scholarships for Community Leadership is one of the largest scholarship programs in Canada. Each recipient receives full tuition, $5,000 per year living expenses — an increase of $1,500 over last year — and a guaranteed offer of summer employment at TD Canada Trust for up to four years. The total value can reach up to $60,000.
"These young adults are a reminder of how one person can impact the lives of many," said Ed Clark, TD Bank Financial Group (TDBFG) president and CEO, when he presented the scholarships along with Mary Anne Chambers, Ontario Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities. "With this scholarship, we recognize and reward their passion and commitment to improving the world around them."
To select the 20 recipients, 62 finalists were chosen and interviewed from more than 3,300 applicants. The selection process involved five regional judging panels, led by the scholarship program’s executive director Dr. Jane Thompson.
"Like all Canadians, these young people come from diverse backgrounds, are inspired by different life experiences, and devote their time to a range of causes, yet they share a common desire to make their communities better," added Clark. "It’s that hope, optimism and dedication that TDBFG is honouring today."