As chair of the board of RBC and the first female to hold such a leadership position at a major Canadian bank, Kathleen Taylor came to Trent University Durham – GTA and challenged young women to have the confidence to ask for what they want in life—be that a promotion, a raise or a seat in many boardrooms that lack female representation.

The Honorary Doctor of Laws degree recipient from Trent University Durham, and Oshawa native, revealed valuable life lessons acquired throughout her extraordinary career to a largely female audience at “A Journey of Learning: Life Lessons from Business and Philanthropy,” held on March 8.

Alumni, community members and students including Ariana Haslam, a fourth-year Business undergraduate specializing in Human Resources, took full advantage of the opportunity to interact with one of the country’s most powerful women.

“It was inspiring and made me feel really powerful, like I could do anything,” said Ms. Haslam.  “Especially now, that I’m looking for jobs to get some experience, I might see if I can just go for it.”

A dedicated mentor, Ms. Taylor believes there is no higher reward than doing whatever she can to help the next generation of leaders.

She stated, “I always say, particularly with female role models, if you can see it, it’s a lot easier, not only to dream about doing it, but to actually do it.”

Ms. Taylor was the first person to receive an honorary doctorate from Trent University’s Durham campus last spring. Honoured by the accolade, she feels having the Trent campus in Oshawa is a “big deal.” 

“This is such an intimate campus and environment, that when someone comes here, you really do get a chance to be up close,” she observed. “A chance to talk over coffee about whatever is on your mind is quite unique.”

In closing she remarked, “This inclusion part of diversity is the great challenge of your generation. This is what you are meant to do. You are meant to take the fact of diversity as you find it. All you have to do is walk around this campus for five minutes and see how incredibly diverse this generation of students is. Turning that into true, powerful inclusiveness in society, in families and in businesses, will be the history they write about your generation— if you are successful. So get on it.”