“I had this feeling that somebody out there needed the money.”

Siobhan Calderbank’s contribution to a Master of Arts in Leadership bursary at Royal Roads University started with a kitchen table discussion and her gut instinct.

A 2016 MAL graduate who is managing director, talent, with Alberta Investment Management Corp., Calderbank says she was speaking with her 10-year-old daughter, Eva Brown, about why education for women is important and how creating a scholarship for women — “particularly women who look like us” — had long been a dream.

After that conversation, she says, “I had this feeling that somebody out there needed the money. It was an overwhelming feeling. And when I tried to figure out who needs it…I just went with my gut instinct and called Royal Roads and asked.”

The answer was “yes” and Calderbank is working with RRU on renewed terms of reference for the MAL bursary so that it helps students from underrepresented groups, such as women, racialized people or members of the 2SLGBTQI+ community.

“This is just like a dream come true,” says Calderbank, who lives in Ontario. “It’s something that’s been in my heart for so many years.

“A lot of individuals who come from racialized families, they don’t want to talk about having to have help when it comes to education,” she explains. “There’s a pride that’s associated with being able to do it yourself and not needing help. Then that bars you from being able to move forward.

“The intent of this award is really to help somebody maintain their integrity, maintain their self-esteem — still feel good, still feel proud — and finish their education so they can turn around and impact the lives of others. And if I’m able to do that, in even a small way, that makes me happy.”

Calderbank notes that every bit helps, noting a loan from a friend for the last $2,000 she needed to complete her degree made a huge difference.

“It was a really big deal because I needed it but I didn’t really want to ask for help,” she recalls, adding, “If you want to be a leader and you want to help shape the lives of others, you need to learn what does that mean, what does that look like, and develop yourself before you can develop others.”

Crucial to her own development was her leadership education at Royal Roads — “the best program that I’ve taken” — and she says she wants others to have a similar experience.

In her work, she has seen the effects of advanced education in giving individuals a leg up on a new job.

“I know that we can’t change the entire trajectory of an individual’s livelihood with a couple of thousand dollars,” she says, “but we have to start somewhere.”

She also encourages others to give what they can to pave a path for others, saying, “If you feel any inclination at all to be able to give back, do it. There’s somebody out there who needs a little bit extra to make it past that finish line.”

Calderbank was selected last year for a Lifetime Achievement Award by the International Association of Top Professionals. She is among a small group of honourees distinguished for “their longevity in their fields, their contributions they have made to society and the impact they have had on their industries.” As well, she was named one of Canada’s 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women for 2022 and contributed a chapter to the book Heroes, Leaders, Legends: The Power of the Human Spirit: Spreading the Light of Hope and Inspiration. Her chapter, “The 7 Cs for Success and How You Can Stand Out,” is in a book along with some famous names, including two of her “sheroes”: Oprah Winfrey and the late writer and activist Maya Angelou. 

Learn more about the Master of Arts in Leadership program.