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Lighting the Way: VOLT Scholars Launches at Victoria College
By Samantha Chater
For many students, thriving at university means more than getting good grades. It means knowing who to ask for help, feeling part of campus life and being confident they belong. This fall, Victoria College is helping to support that kind of success with a new program for high-achieving students from under-represented communities, particularly Black and Indigenous students.
VOLT Scholars—short for Victoria’s Opportunity for Leaders of Tomorrow—offers both financial assistance and tailored support to empower students beyond the classroom.
VOLT builds on a foundation of student support available through the Opportunity Awards, a Vic initiative established through a grant from Bader Philanthropies Inc. to help reduce the financial pressure on students from underrepresented groups.
“We saw that even with financial support, some Opportunity Award recipients continued to face barriers,” said Yvette Ali, the Victoria University registrar. “There was clearly more we could do to help students thrive.”
When Dr. Rhonda McEwen became president of Victoria University in 2022, one of her first priorities was to build on that financial support by also offering academic check-ins, mentorship and dedicated advising. That vision led to the creation of VOLT Scholars, a program designed to bring together funding, proactive advising and a strong sense of community.
Starting this fall, eight second-year, high-achieving students from under-represented communities, with priority given to Black and Indigenous students, will form the first cohort of VOLT Scholars. Even before the program begins, students chosen as VOLT Scholars are already feeling the impact of that recognition and support.
“For me, being part of the program is extra encouragement on this journey,” said Adura Oyedele, who will join the VOLT Scholars cohort this fall, while completing a double major in health and disease and cell and molecular biology. “Undergrad is a long process, and this motivates me to stay focused. I’d been thinking about a PhD, and this scholarship confirmed that goal and showed me that Victoria College is here to support me.”
The program is led by Imani King Vic 2T3, who joined Victoria College in April 2024 as the first academic adviser, equity and outreach. Some VOLT Scholars begin as Opportunity Award recipients. Others receive the VOLT Scholars Award, an award for VOLT Scholar students who show strong academic promise and leadership.
“The financial support is amazing,” said King. “But that’s just the beginning. What students really need is someone in their corner, someone who’s there to support them, guide them and walk with them through their time at Vic. That’s how I see my role.”
King’s role focuses on proactive advising. She helps students with course selection, accommodation requests and funding deadlines. Many of the students she works with are the first in their families to attend university. "If high school was hard, university is harder,” said King. “A lot can go wrong. I’m here to help make sure they get connected to the resources they need.”
VOLT Scholars was inspired by the Meyerhoff Scholars Program at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. During a 2024 visit to the campus, King was particularly struck by their six-week Summer Bridge experience— a model of early, structured support that emphasized the value of community and preparation. That visit led her to create Scholars Connect Weekend—a three-day retreat and one of the first VOLT Scholars events held for the first time this June. The retreat helps students prepare for first year, build peer connections and feel more grounded in the Vic community.
“It was very apparent to me that I needed to build transition programming,” said King. “The difference that those three days made on the group was evident.”
VOLT Scholars launches this fall, building on a strong foundation of student support already in place at Victoria College. The program brings together existing initiatives such as the Opportunity Awards and the Faculty Mentorship Program, which pairs second-year students with faculty for informal academic and career guidance. The result is a more intentional and affirming approach to student support.
“We’re not reinventing the wheel—we’re strengthening what’s already here,” said King. “We want students to know this is a place where they belong, where they’re seen and supported."
VOLT Scholars is made possible through generous donor support, including leadership gifts from David and Ann Wilson and Bader Philanthropies Inc., as well as gifts from the Gordon and Ruth Gooder Charitable Foundation and the Stait Family Fund.
“The majority of the programming costs are covered by donors,” said Ali. “We’d love to grow the program to support more students with additional scholarships. We don’t want to leave anyone behind.”
It's also part of a broader effort at Vic to strengthen advising, build a deeper sense of belonging and help students thrive with timely support. Ali believes the program will help students feel more connected to campus life, improving both academic performance and overall well-being.
“It’s about helping students feel like they belong and letting them know they're supported,” she said.
She also hopes the program inspires students to dream bigger. “It encourages them to aim higher,” Ali said. “And shows them that Vic is behind them.”
King has already seen how quickly students can build a sense of belonging when given the right opportunity, like the Scholars Connect Weekend.
“They come in strangers and leave as a close-knit group,” she said.
Wilson Family Gift Supports VOLT Scholars
Victoria College alumni David Wilson Vic 6T8 and his sister Ann Wilson Vic 7T0 are among the generous donors supporting the new VOLT Scholars Program. Their gift reflects a family legacy of valuing equity and inclusion— especially their mother’s deep interest in the experiences of newcomers to Canada.
