Eleven Atlantic Canadian universities, including Mount Allison University, and Atlantic Business Magazine have announced a new partnership with a goal of making the region’s universities and business community more inclusive. 

The Atlantic Promise Scholars initiative is increasing diversity in business schools by offering Black and Indigenous students financial aid and other supports to ensure their success.

Mount Allison joins Acadia University, Cape Breton University, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Mount Saint Vincent University, Saint Mary’s University, St. Francis Xavier University, Université de Moncton, University of New Brunswick and the University of Prince Edward Island as a Promise Scholars partner. Each university is raising funds for their individual Promise Scholars program supporting Black and Indigenous students in varying amounts.

At Mount Allison, the Promise Scholars initiative will help to support the Kavana Wa Kilele Fund, a newly-established fund in honour of recent student Kavana Wa Kilele who passed away suddenly in 2021. Originally from Kenya, Wa Kilele was an international relations student at Mount Allison and greatly involved in both the University and wider community. She was a founding member of the Sackville Refugee Response Coalition, playing an integral role with the organization to welcome new families to Sackville. With aspirations to become President of Kenya, Wa Kilele was a member of the Mount Allison Black Students Union and the MASSIE program, and was known for her activism and kindness on campus.

The Kavana Wa Kilele Fund at Mount Allison will establish a bursary in her name, to be awarded on the basis of need to a Black student who exemplifies the spirit of her activism and commitment to social justice. Students in all programs will be eligible.

For more information about supporting the Kavana Wa Kilele Fund at Mount Allison can be found at mta.ca/donate. To support this fund or to discuss other meaningful gift opportunities as part of the Promise Scholars Initiatives at Mount Allison, please by contact Beth Swarbrigg in the University’s Development Office - bswarbrigg@mta.ca