Teacher, neuroscientist and lawyer: these are a few of the RBC Students Leading Change Scholarship winners

TORONTO, July 30, 2015 /CNW/ - RBC announced today its 2015 RBC Students Leading Change Scholarship recipients, recognizing 15 of Canada's most civic-minded students. Each winner will receive a $10,000 scholarship towards post-secondary tuition, and six will travel to Kenya for a Me to We Trip experience to volunteer with the international charity Free The Children.

"Today's students continue to showcase the true potential of young Canadians. We're impressed by the caliber of talent and know they continue to raise the bar each year," said Mandy Mail, director of Student Banking. "We are recognizing 15 students who demonstrated outstanding achievements in both their classrooms and their communities. The RBC Students Leading Change Scholarship will give them the opportunity to continue to lead change."

Spotlight on one of the winners:
Carleigh Milburn is one of this year's RBC Students Leading Change Scholarship recipients. Carleigh will be attending Queen's University this fall to pursue dual degrees in Honours English and Concurrent Education. Teaching has always been Carleigh's passion. She has already taught in St. Croix, volunteered twice in Hong Kong teaching English and worked with the Mission of Hope in Haiti to teach children about hygiene. Carleigh hopes to one day teach abroad and work with children from around the world.

Hands on experiences:
In addition to the monetary award, six scholarships are paired with a Me to We Trip to be taken in the Summer 2016. The trips create life changing experiences for youth, families, groups and individuals in partnership with Free The Children, a unique experience from RBC Students Leading Change scholarships.

Alexandra Pintea, a 2014 RBC scholarship recipient, travelled to Kenya in May 2015 to participate in her Me to We trip. Describing her experience as "incredible" and "life changing", Alexandra learned a lot from her time volunteering in Kenya.

"From participating in activities with the locals - like water walks with the mamas and interacting with local school children - to discussing world issues with my fellow trip goers, this trip has changed who I am and allowed me to grow as a person. I learned a lot about myself in just those few weeks away and am extremely grateful to RBC and Free The Children for this opportunity," she says.

"Social good and hands-on experiences continue to be a priority for many young Canadians," said Craig Kielburger, co-founder of Free The Children. "My brother Marc and I are grateful to RBC for creating this opportunity for these outstanding young people to travel to our Free The Children developing community in Kenya, immerse themselves in the culture, and gain a deeper understanding of social justice and development issues. There is no better classroom than the world itself, and the impact of these experiences will last a life-time."

2015 winners of the RBC Students Leading Change Scholarship Program (in alphabetical order):

Scholarship & Me to We Trip
Neal Zuberi Attard, Thornhill, Ontario
Caroline Elie, Petawawa, Ontario
Jillian Gilroy, West Kelowna, British Columbia
Carleigh Milburn, Niagara Falls, Ontario
Ramita Verma, Edmonton, Alberta
JiaLi (Betty) Wang, Surrey, British Columbia

Scholarship
Ghassan Awad Elkarim, Toronto, Ontario
Jessica Bosman, London, Ontario
Robyn McCallum, Tabusintac, New Brunswick
Alana McFarlane, Vancouver, British Columbia
Katherine McKee, Grafton, New Brunswick
Roxane Sicotte, Saint-Lambert, Quebec
Reid Sutherland, Brandon, Manitoba
Mirjana Villeneuve, Ottawa, Ontario
Aran Yukseloglu, Edmonton, Alberta

About RBC Student Scholarships
RBC has provided over $6 million in annual scholarships (this includes the RBC Students Leading Change Scholarships, RBC Aboriginal Student Awards Program and Scholarship Program for the Children of RBC Employees).

RBC supports a broad range of community initiatives through donations, sponsorships and employee volunteer activities. In 2014, RBC contributed more than $104 million to causes worldwide, including donations and community investments of more than $69 million and $35 million in sponsorships. In 2013, the company announced the RBC Kids pledge, a five-year, $100 million commitment to improve the well-being of one million children and youth. RBC has a long legacy of supporting children's causes worldwide and we are committed to the well-being of kids and youth.

SOURCE RBC

Image with caption: "Alexandra Pintea, a 2014 RBC scholarship award recipient and Sharon, a young girl from Kenya (CNW Group/RBC)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150730_C9300_PHOTO_EN_44051.jpg

For further information:

Kiara Famularo, RBC Corporate Communications, 647-638-6291
Jill Anzarut, RBC Corporate Communications, 647-534-5118