On October 21, 2022, something incredible happened at Rotman School of Management – the second annual Rotman Giving Day (RGD) took place as part of Reunite, the School’s homecoming celebration.
The response was overwhelming. Over 400 passionate donors rose to the occasion, including devoted alums, esteemed faculty, dedicated staff and cherished friends of the Rotman community. Together, they rallied behind the cause, igniting a wave of generosity to shape the future of education at Rotman.
But this wasn't just any ordinary giving day. In the spirit of empowering donors, an exclusive matching opportunity was offered on gifts up to $1,000. For nearly a month leading up to RGD, donors seized this chance to double the impact of their contributions. The result? A total of $557,153 was raised, with a remarkable $172,632 contributed by matching funds.
The funds raised through RGD were nothing short of transformative. They propelled scholarships, supported research centres and institutes, and empowered groundbreaking research. Every corner of the School was touched by the generosity and belief of the donors, forever leaving an indelible mark on the Rotman community.
“Since I was a child, it has been a shared dream of both mine and my family that I would pursue an MBA. Receiving the Reunite RSM Scholarship not only helped solidify my decision to study at Rotman by providing me peace of mind financially, but it also opened and continues to open new doors for me and my career that were not open to me before.”
—Joao De Azambuja (MBA ’24)
Among the many scholarships bolstered by the unwavering support of RGD donors was The Black Leadership Scholarship by Students Against Anti-Black Racism (SABR). Spearheaded by members of SABR, a Rotman student club, this scholarship was established in 2021 to attract more Black students to the School’s Morning and Evening MBA program. As one of the featured scholarships during the past two RGDs, it is now an endowed scholarship that has attracted more than 190 individual donors.
Phomolo Rabana, Co-President of SABR, expressed his sincerest thanks to the greater Rotman community for its support of The Black Leadership Scholarship by SABR during RGD and, by default, “its vision to create a U of T community where diversity is not just spoken about, but is actually seen, lived and celebrated.”
But that's not all. RGD 2022 also created five new endowed scholarships poised to shape future students' lives. The Will Mitchell Leadership in Healthcare Scholarship (endowed with $66,187), the Ike Justin Kaja Memorial Scholarship (endowed with $60,678), the Oded Berman Ph.D. Award in Operations Management (endowed with $56,000), the Women in Management Association Scholarship (endowed with $50,000) and the Rotman Commerce Asia Alumni Scholarship (endowed with $25,000).
The impact of new awards created through RGD funds is guaranteed to be long-lasting, as showcased by Joao De Azambuja (MBA ’24), the 2022 recipient of the Reunite RSM Scholarship. Azambuja cites the scholarship, established by funds from the inaugural RGD, significantly impacting his decision to move to Canada and pursue his MBA at Rotman.
“Since I was a child, it has been a shared dream of both mine and my family that I would pursue an MBA,” said De Azambuja. “Coming from Peru, where the currency is much weaker than the Canadian dollar, the cost of an MBA was certainly top of mind when considering my options. Receiving the Reunite RSM Scholarship not only helped solidify my decision to study at Rotman by providing me peace of mind financially, but it also opened and continues to open new doors for me and my career that were not open to me before.”
The impact of RGD is undeniable. In just two years, it has rallied the Rotman community to raise over $940,000, a staggering sum that has transformed the lives of countless students.
To all those who have invested in the future, believed in the power of education and shared in the vision of RGD — thank you. Your generosity has left an indelible mark on the Rotman community, and your support will continue to inspire and empower future generations. Together, we are shaping a brighter tomorrow, one gift at a time.
Written by Cialyn Carson