Kiran Ahluwalia (MBA’93) and Dr. Josephine Etowa (BScN’96, MN’99) are among Canada’s Top 25 Immigrants of 2016.

The annual awards program celebrates immigrants 14 years of age or older who are making a positive difference in Canada, among other criteria.

While there is no monetary prize for winners, they receive a certificate and a $500 donation from RBC to the charity of the recipient’s choice.

About Kiran Ahluwalia

Kiran Ahluwalia

Kiran Ahluwalia is a native of India, and has lived in Canada since the age of nine. Despite difficult early days adjusting to life as an immigrant, Ahluwalia went on to receive an MBA and pursue her musical aspirations.

She released her first album in 2001 and has since won two Juno awards, two Canadian Folk Music Awards, the Songlines/WOMAD Best Newcomer of the Year Award in 2009 and the Sikh Centennial Foundation Award for Excellence in Music in 2008.

About Josephine Etowa

Josephine Etowa

Nigerian-born Josephine Etowa has been in Canada for 25 years. She has gone from a young single mother of two hearing-impaired children to a healthcare educator and clinical practitioner.

Dr. Etowa focuses on addressing inequities in health and healthcare. She works as a Health Sciences professor at the University of Ottawa and performs key research as the Marie Des Anges Loyer DaSilva Chair in Public Health Nursing.

Etowa credits her success to community support, and continues to give back through volunteer and community service.

Read more and see a full list of winners in “Announcing the 2016 RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award Winners!” on canadianimmigrant.ca.