“Concordia gave me the tools to succeed. Now I have the privilege of helping others write their own stories.”
Chateram with Roosevelt (Rosie) Douglas, Prime Minister of Dominica, during his 2000 visit to Concordia. A leader of the 1969 Sir George Williams student protest against institutional racism, Douglas was invited by the Concordia Student Union months before his passing.
That belief in education as a force for transformation traces back to his own time at Concordia. He remembers challenging administrators to show real results concerning the graduation rates of Black students, not just recruitment numbers.
“I wanted to know how they were helping students succeed once they arrived. That experience taught me the value of advocating for yourself and for others,” he says.
Since 2021, Chateram has served on Concordia’s Board of Governors, continuing a relationship with the university that began nearly three decades ago.
“Giving back to Concordia and my roots feels like closing the circle,” he says. “Being on the Board gives me a front-row seat to how much the university has evolved while staying true to its inclusive approach.”
Though his career has spanned finance and leadership, Chateram notes that the scholarship is open to all disciplines.
“We need different thinkers,” he says. “STEM is important, but so are the humanities, the arts and the social sciences. As we move deeper into an AI-driven world, it’s those human perspectives that will make the biggest difference.”
Through the Chateram Family Graduate Scholarship, he hopes to inspire others to aim high and make the most of their opportunities.
“Whatever you choose to do, just be excellent at it,” urges Chateram. “Concordia gave me the tools to succeed. Now I have the privilege of helping others write their own stories.”