A future undergrad student at Toronto Metropolitan University received a life-changing scholarship that will set her on a path to becoming a nutritionist — and to top it off, a Toronto Raptors star presented the big certificate in-person.
On Sunday, Toronto resident Annessa Dehaney was joined by family, friends and TMU officials at Mattamy Athletic Centre where she was awarded the SlimmDuck Scholarship.
The scholarship was created by Raptors centre Chris Boucher and his SlimmDuck Foundation in 2023. Helping students of Caribbean descent, the award provides $5,000 in financial assistance to one learner each year through the Spanning the Gaps bridging program.
That program — which runs out of TMU’s Chang School of Continuing Education — offers transitional opportunities for students aged 21 and over who are looking to enter post-secondary education but can’t fulfill all of the admission requirements.
Employed part-time as a chef at two nursing homes in Toronto, Dehaney, 23, wrote an essay about her Caribbean background and upbringing — as well as her passion for cooking — as part of the application process for the bursary.
She was selected as the 2024-25 recipient two weeks after submitting the application.
“It’s still surreal,” Dehaney told TorontoToday. “I’ve been struggling financially and staying on top my whole life, so this was a big step and will really help me.”
In addition to her studies and two part-time jobs, Dehaney runs her own catering business where she adds a Caribbean twist to dishes like baked macaroni and cheese.
She learned to cook by watching her grandmother in the kitchen, which sparked her eagerness to learn more about dietetics and how the science behind different foods can help others.
But her road to working in the culinary industry wasn’t an easy one. Dehaney has been living on her own since she was 15 and juggling jobs meant she didn’t finish high school.
“It was a struggle growing up,” she said. “It was really hard for me to continue to go to school and have to go to work, and I wasn’t able to complete high school on time. I was proud of myself to go through all those obstacles and strive for what I wanted in my own life.”
Having completed a culinary skills college program at Centennial College, Dehaney had her eye on taking the next leap and attending university to become a registered dietician.
The Spanning the Gaps program will allow Dehaney to prepare for full-time university studies by earning the credits needed to apply to the food and nutrition program at TMU — a four-year bachelor’s of science degree she intends to begin in the fall.
“Food is my passion, so that’s what makes it easier for me to do everything I do,” she said. “I manage my schedule well. There will be days where I overwork myself, but at the end of the day, it brings me joy — so I’m always happy in the end.”
Asked about being handed the award by Boucher at Sunday’s scholarship ceremony, Dehaney said the experience harkened back to another of her past gigs.
“I used to work at Scotiabank Arena, so I’ve probably seen 100 Raptors games,” she said. “I never got to meet any of the players, so this is super cool. I never thought I would be in this position.”
