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T.J. Sutter could be the perfect spokesperson for the RBC National Junior A Scholarship.

He is a past winner of the $5,000 scholarship, used it to attend one of Canada's premier universities, and worked hard on the ice and in the classroom and now boasts a great job with, of all companies, RBC.

Sutter, as a member of the Nipawin Hawks, became the first player from the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League to win the national scholarship award when he did so in 2006. No player from the SJHL has done it since.

Sutter used the scholarship to help with fees during his four years at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont. He remembers what his goals were as a freshman at Queen's – work hard on and off the ice and ensure that his work ethic paid off down the road.

“While taking a full course load and playing varsity hockey, you realize how precious time becomes and how little of it you have when you're running between classes, group meetings, hockey practice, the gym, etc.,” says Sutter. “On top of that, university is not cheap. The scholarship money helped me achieve my goals by providing me with the financial support to focus my time on what was most important to me: grades and athletics. I hoped that would result in my getting a good job.”

That is exactly what happened. During his senior year at Queen's, Sutter earned a job with RBC Capital Markets in its global markets rotational program. He started there in August 2010 and, over the next 12 months, had three job rotations in Toronto and New York, learning the ins and outs of the financial industry.

During the summer of 2011, Sutter settled on a job at the bond desk at RBC and works as an institutional bond trader in Toronto.

Sutter had a memorable four years at Queen's, capped by being named an alternate captain of the Golden Gaels during his senior season, along with class valedictorian. He looks back on his days in Nipawin and credits a lot of that learning for what he has accomplished.

“I attribute a lot of my success to what I learned while playing junior hockey,” says Sutter. “The hard work, the teamwork, the community involvement, the camaraderie and, most importantly, you really understand the importance of trusting your teammates and the various roles each player has in order to make the team successful.”