Kyle MacDonald, Com’11, GDA’11
Support for students can last a lifetime.
Kyle became a Sobey Scholar when he entered Queen’s in 2007. The D & R Sobey Atlantic Admission Award was created in 1999 by Donald Sobey, BCom’57, LLD’16, and his son Rob Sobey, BAH’88, for students with financial needs from Atlantic Canada entering the Commerce program.
Kyle grew up in Cape Breton, N.S., and says the award changed the direction of his life. He completed both his commerce degree and a graduate diploma in accounting in 2011. “I never would have been able to go to Queen’s without it, and I wouldn’t have had the opportunities that I did as a result.”
After graduation, Kyle went to work in finance in Toronto. Inspired by the Sobey family’s generosity, Kyle co-founded Capitalize for Kids in 2014, which has raised over $9 million for youth mental health.
Now Kyle and more than 100 fellow Sobey Scholar alumni are working together to help the next generation of students. Together, they’ve created a mentorship program that connects current and former award recipients.
“Once students choose a career path, we connect them with an individual working in that field,” Kyle says. “We have an incredible alumni base of senior leaders. It’s another way we can all give back.”
