An interview with Donneil McNab, founder of the Award for Diversity and Community Building
Applications for the 2026 Award for Diversity and Community Building are open March 1 through May 1, 2026. Learn more and apply.
Each February, Royal Roads University celebrates Black History Month, and the lasting contributions of Black Canadians who have helped shape Canada and continue to inspire future generations.
We asked Donneil McNab, Royal Roads Master of Arts in Tourism Management alum and founder of the Award for Diversity and Community Building, more about why she established this award and the impact she hopes it has on recipients.
Q: What motivated you to create an award specifically for students of African descent?
A: For me, this started with noticing a pattern in my own experiences and those of my peers. In Canada, there is often a tendency to frame anti-Black racism in comparison to other contexts and assume that, because it sometimes looks different here, it is less significant. But that narrative can obscure the nuanced ways Black students navigate academic spaces in our country.
There is a difference between saying you value equity and allocating resources in a way that reflects that value. For me, that meant not contributing to something performative or abstract. I wanted something specific. Something that clearly names Black students and affirms that our presence in the institution matters.
When I realized there was no award at RRU that celebrated Black excellence and encouraged Black flourishing, it felt like a gap I could help fill. I created the award while I was still a student myself, though not at RRU. I was self-funding my program at the time and did not have much disposable income. Still, creating the award when I did was intentional. In line with my values, I felt a responsibility to play my part in supporting my community in a concrete way. Creating this award was my way of saying that Black students should not have to shrink to belong. If we believe in Black excellence, then we must build structures that support it, even if they are small at first.
Q: What goes through your mind when you hear how a recipient has been impacted by this support?
A: I think about how rare it can be to feel deliberately supported in academic spaces. When someone says the award strengthened their confidence and made them feel seen, that means something to me. If it helps someone remain steady in who they are and why they are there, especially during moments of uncertainty, then it has done meaningful work.
Q: What do you hope this award makes possible for students, inside the classroom and out?
A: In the classroom, I hope it reminds students that their presence is not conditional. They have every right to take up space and engage fully without feeling the need to dilute or defend who they are.
The financial amount is not life-changing, and I am very aware of that. But even modest support can shift how someone experiences a semester. It can ease pressure. It can create breathing room. It can signal that someone thought about you intentionally, and that carries more weight than people often realize.
Outside the classroom, I hope it affirms that Black flourishing extends beyond grades and includes leadership, innovation, and community impact. Black excellence does not need institutional permission to exist. It exists regardless. But institutional support can strengthen how boldly it moves.
Q: Last year’s recipient said how powerful it was to know someone was in her corner. How do you hope recipients feel when they learn there’s a community invested in their success?
A: I hope they feel supported in a way that does not require them to constantly prove their worth.
There is a quiet confidence that comes from knowing your presence is expected and not questioned. That kind of confidence changes how you move through these spaces. It allows you to show up fully, without second-guessing whether you belong.
Q: Looking ahead, what kind of legacy do you hope this award will create, for students, for the university and for future generations?
A: For future students, I hope it communicates that someone was thinking about them before they arrived. That someone believed their journey would matter and chose to act on that belief.
For the university, I hope it reinforces that equity is reflected in how resources are allocated, how priorities are set, and how consistently communities are supported over time.
More broadly, I hope it contributes to a culture where Black flourishing is recognized and supported year-round.