Spring 2024 Alumni Address: April Hicke

April Hicke never dreamed she’d be standing on the convocation stage, speaking to new graduates.

“Statistically speaking, this is not where children like me end up,” said the Graduate Certificate in Corporate Social Innovation alum.

She was one of two alumni orators at Royal Roads University’s Spring Convocation ceremonies and shared her journey of achieving success against the odds. 

“My journey has taught me that our beginnings don't define our ends,” she said.

Hicke is the co-founder and chief growth officer at Toast, a membership-based women’s collective in favour of women in tech. 

“Basically, I have a super cool job that helps more women land roles in tech, with companies that value them,” said Hicke in her address.

Read more about how her experiences working in tech inspired her to co-found Toast alongside friend Marissa McNeelands.

Watch her full address or read a transcript below. You can also watch the full address by Master of Global Management alum Armando Camara and find more videos and photos on our Spring 2024 Convocation page.

Good afternoon, class of 2024.

I am going to start by saying: I have often told myself is that I am not supposed to be standing here right now. 

This is a manifestation for me, as I dreamed of this opportunity at my own convocation.

I feel incredibly grateful for the invitation to be here today to speak to you all. 

In almost every role I have held, I have been a face for change. Being an official school for changemakers, Royal Roads was the obvious choice for me to embark on my continuing education.

I hold a Graduate Certificate in Corporate Social Innovation, which I proudly use every day in my role as Co-Founder and Chief Growth officer at Toast. 

In January 2023, Toast launched to close the gender gap in tech, and today we partner with over 100 organizations across Canada and the US to help them hire more women and foster workspaces that invite and attract more diverse candidates. 

Basically, I have a super cool job that helps more women land roles in tech, with companies that value them. 

I live in Calgary with my husband and two boys, spending our time outdoors and traveling. I truly feel that I have my dream job and dream life.

As I said, I am not supposed to be here. 

Statistically speaking, this is not where children like me end up. 

I was the oldest of three, born to parents who weren’t ready for parenthood.

Diagnosed with ADHD at eight, I often felt like I didn't belong. 

I struggled in school, often bored and frustrated by the slow pace. 

My father's resentment and worsening alcoholism made home life increasingly difficult, eventually landing me in foster care. 

I spent nearly four years in group homes and shelters, feeling unsafe and often running away to stay with friends. 

Growing up, I never felt loved or wanted. I felt trapped and constantly longed for someone to see and value me. 

I never finished high school—a combination of grit, self ownership, bravery, AND asking the right people the right questions is what brought me here today.

My journey has taught me that our beginnings don't define our ends, and that embracing discomfort, taking responsibility for our lives, and persisting through challenges are the keys to success. 

When I applied to RRU, I was still in the corporate world, working at a bank. 

I did not anticipate that I would be building a start-up while managing a full-time course load, parenting two young boys and having a husband who is, as a pilot working 17 days out of each month away. 

I started my program at the same time as Toast was taking off, and I remember logging onto my residency classes and my classmates sharing how they’d read about me in the Globe and Mail that morning.

On the outside, it looked glamorous, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t cry often and contemplate quitting.

It was HARD - probably one of the hardest most defining years of my life. I think everyone here today can relate to this. 

But: We can do hard things. You can do hard things. 

The hard things taught me what to release to allow me to expand and step into my story and life’s work.

 I want to leave you all with a quote that I once heard that said: "We were given this baggage to show others how it can be unpacked.” 

I reflect often on how our beginnings don't have to define our ends.

I want to challenge you all today to ask yourselves:

How will you navigate adversity that is yet to come?

Because I promise you, it inevitably will. 

But we get to choose. Again and again.

Choose how we use our experiences for good. 

Choose to use that diversity of thought and background and experience and bring it to our teams, to our communities, and to our relationships to create success.

As you move into your next chapters, asking yourself what is your story that sets you apart? 

Choose something you care about and do your part in solving our big world problems. 

I wish you every success, graduating class of 2024. Good luck!