To invest in a better future for our communities, RTOERO offers an annual scholarship program and awards scholarships valued at $3,000 each to 20 post-secondary students. The scholarships will help the students to pursue goals that support well-being, and the health of our people and places.

One student nominated by District 16 York Region received a scholarship in 2022:

Veronica Vuong is studying in the PhD in Medical Science program at University of Toronto, with a focus on aging and cognitive neuroscience. Before her current program, Veronica earned a Bachelor’s equivalent in Piano Performance; a BMus in Music Education and a MA in Music and Health Sciences.

It all comes together in her research interest – using neuroimaging methods and behavioural measures to understand how music can improve memory and potentially induce neuroplasticity in older adults with early dementia. Her goal is to become a professor and direct a research laboratory that focuses on research in music and memory.

RTOERO members are encouraged to recommend students for the annual scholarships. To date, RTOERO has awarded scholarships totaling more than $550,000.

To apply for the scholarships, students had to describe how their studies and goals relate to RTOERO’s purpose, what influenced them to pursue their intended career and how their contributions (to family, school, work, community) have aligned with RTOERO’s goal and values.

This year’s recipients are studying in programs including nursing, medicine, speech-language pathology, social work, health sciences, biomedical engineering, physiotherapy, pharmacy and education.