“I feel like a lot of things I’ve done in my life have been because people have given me a chance,” said Daniel Anene, a fourth-year student at the UBC Sauder School of Business.
A recipient of the Mary Louise Peterson Scholarship for BIPOC Students, he reflects on the themes of opportunity and resilience and shares how his life—and those of others—might have been different without the support like that provided by us at Arbutus Search Group.
Daniel’s Story:
(Photo caption: Daniel with his parents.)
Growing up in an immigrant family from Nigeria, Daniel recalls the struggles of his youth, especially from his mother’s perspective.
“Sick husband… childhood disabilities… immigrating to a new country, troublesome kid…I’m really grateful for her.”
Despite these hurdles, he fondly reflects on his mother’s resilience as he grew up and strove to emulate her throughout his journey. Ultimately, he found success in high school a in high school through track and field.
(Photo caption: Daniel’s mom, on a FaceTime call.)
“It was either one of my coaches or like a teacher. She introduced the whole world of scholarships to me.”
With that in mind, Daniel seized it the opportunity to excel in the post-secondary world, by not only earning a spot at one of Canada’s top business schools, but also receiving our $5,000 scholarship.
“It’s like, I’ve never seen that kind of money before in my entire life. I guess they thought they saw some potential in me.”
Building on that momentum, Daniel used it as a launchpad to explore more opportunities across UBC, taking on leadership roles with the Commerce Undergraduate Society, Delta Kappa Epsilon, and the UBC Student Legal Fund. Eventually, he aspires to make an impact by creating opportunities for others.
“I feel like a lot of things I’ve done in my life have been because people have given me a chance.”
We are proud to support and empower students like Daniel at UBC Sauder through the Mary Louise Peterson Scholarship for BIPOC Students. Learn how else we’re supporting Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) initiatives at arbutussearch.com
About the Mary Louise Peterson Scholarship for BIPOC Students:
At Arbutus, we’re always committed to advocating for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB). Named and personified after our founder Joel’s mother, the Mary Louise Peterson Scholarship for BIPOC Students is an annual $5,000 award given to selected undergraduate UBC Sauder students who identify as black, Indigenous, or people of colour. The scholarship is designed to reduce the barriers to higher education for underrepresented students who embody Arbutus’ values.