UNews - donor

History Lived Out

david.kirby — Thu, 27 Nov 2014 22:51:33 +0000

There are defining moments in each life. We remember the exact time, place and feelings that were sparked – those memories stay with us, shaping who we are and the journey we take. Dr. Gerhard Driedger’s story has been full of many such milestones, fanning a deep appreciation of history and the lessons that derive from knowledge of the past.

To honour Dr. Gerhard Driedger’s lifelong love of history, Driedger’s four children made a $100,000 donation this fall to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

For Driedger, it began in Grade 3. His teacher used a sandbox to create a model showing the protecting dikes of the mighty Vistula River, which largely runs through Poland. It intrigued and fascinated him. Later, both he and a classmate would look back at that experience as a pivotal point, an awakening to their own curiosity of history. At the time, the two children were blissfully unaware of how they would leave the Werder, and certainly had no idea of how their lives would be intertwined, later having a marriage of 69 years, surviving the war and raising four children together, two of which would be born in West Germany.

“I still remember it very clearly. I was about 14 years old when the war broke out. My dad was sure something was going on. He turned on the radio and woke us up. Hitler had started the war. I had never seen my dad like that. He cried. He swore. My mother couldn’t settle him down. He was afraid my brother and I would have to go to war. He had been a veteran of the in World War 1, and he knew what war was like,” recalls Driedger.

The fears of Driedger’s father became reality when Driedger and his older brother enlisted in the German army. His brother died in combat; Driedger, while working in medical service, was taken as a prisoner of war with the British Army. Lucky to have avoided being taken by the Soviet Army, Driedger continued to serve in various army hospitals and married his former classmate Hilda. After being discharged by the British Occupational Forces, Driedger carried on in pursuit of a medical career at the Christian Albrecht ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Kiel and graduated in December 1948.

After three years in General Practice, he and Hilda knew it was time for them to leave Germany because of threats of the Cold War. They stepped off the Beaverbrae in Saint John, NB, Canada, with a growing family and a scant $10 to their names.

Dr. Gerhard Driedger’s story has been full of many milestones, fanning a deep appreciation of history and the lessons that derive from knowledge of the past.

“I will never forget, I was so proud. They did not refer to us as immigrants but as “New Canadians,”” Driedger recounts.

After landing in Canada, Driedger worked in general medical practice for three years before he went on to complete his studies in Orthopedic Surgery at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Pennsylvania. Later, he and Hilda returned to Lethbridge, Alta, where they would put down roots.

It’s an understatement to say that Driedger has had many life-defining experiences, but his knowledge transcends texts, having lived through the real pages of time.

Understanding that memories can easily fade and be forever lost, Driedger wrote a book, The Werder, in his retirement years, an account of his homeland. Writing meant more than relaying details and dates; Driedger wanted to engage the next generation so that the same mistakes can be potentially avoided.

“I will not say that the politician will learn the facts of history before they engage in warfare, but we can inform people to look at history, so they do not go blind into that adventure,”says Driedger.

In a desire to honour Driedger’s lifelong love of history, Driedger’s four children made a $100,000 donation this fall to the Department of History at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

“My father was an orthopedic surgeon, but he always had a great interest in history and wanted to do something to promote it,” says Walter Driedger, one of Gerhard and Hilda’s sons. “Fundamentally, he doesn’t want the next generation to be totally ignorant of the history of Eastern Europe.”

Half of the money will be used to support the history department for things like lectures, guest speakers and conferences. The remaining half will establish a scholarship that will be given to fourth-year history students of high academic standing, covering 50 per cent of their tuition and fees.

“Generous donations to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge like that of the Driedger family, in addition to strengthening the programs offered by the departments which receive them, also allow some students to attend university who might otherwise not be able, or avoid falling into debt during their studies,” says Dr. Christopher Epplett, Chair of the Department of History.

“I would simply like to thank the Driedger family for their exemplary generosity. Our department will certainly strive to use the Driedger bequest in as many ways as possible to further the study and appreciation of history, both at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and in the wider community.”

It’s a goal that resonates with Driedger, who frequently quotes John Knox, “Though the facts, here recited, are known, how long will that knowledge continue, if they are trusted merely to memory?”

Call Centre wrapping up season with simple message - Thank You

trevor.kenney — Mon, 07 Apr 2014 18:20:51 +0000

In downtown Lethbridge, on the second floor of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Dr. Foster James Penny Building, you’ll find a team of students, donning headsets, armed with stamina and ready to dial the numbers of U of L alumni and donors.

The student team has made calls to 20,000 alumni, raising more than $57,000 in gifts and pledges.

This team of 28-callers is a representation of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ itself; each with varying backgrounds, diverse majors and unique motivations, but bringing a shared passion for the U of L with a goal to raise support for the institution.

Unlike what you’d expect to see in a call centre, there is a unique buzz and energy as the students engage in conversation, asking alumni what they remember from their years studying or if they have any words of advice they’d like to offer. In turn, details around exciting campus projects and initiatives are shared.

Depending on who has been called, students will often also explain how crucial donor gifts are for the ongoing efforts of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and ask for support. For Ryan Parks, one student caller, it’s a personal question that is rooted in gratitude.

“I have been really lucky to receive a lot of support through scholarships. I feel like it has less do with what I’ve done, but rather what other people were willing to do for me by giving,” he says. “There are so many financial stressors and other stressors going on in life, and I’m sure those are still there when you graduate and possibly even more, but at a time when you’re trying to find yourself and get on your own two feet, it’s really helpful to not have to worry as much about money. I really can’t express how much that support means; I say thank you a lot.”

Nearing completion for the semester, the student team has made calls to 20,000 alumni, raising more than $57,000 in gifts and pledges. While that alone is an impressive outcome, the numbers tell only part of the success story.

“The students are having a lot of great conversations with alumni. The value goes well beyond the dollars raised,” explains Kathy MacFarlane, manager of development programs at the U of L. “ We are very pleased with the gifts we are getting and equally important the connections we are making with alumni.”

Rhys Hakstol, another student caller, recalls when he first recognized this aspect of his role.

“I had a conversation during my second shift where I talked to a guy for 45 minutes. He told me all about his life – he was a cancer survivor and was going back for his third degree at the U of L and was deeply connected to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ,” recalls Hakstol. “At the end of the call, I asked him if he’d like to make a donation. Because of his medical bills he wasn’t able to, but that’s when I understood that we’re not here to just get money, we’re here to listen and talk to people, too."

Hakstol will cross the stage at convocation this spring with a bachelor of sciences degree, and jokes about how he’s looking forward to hassling the student callers on the other end of the line next year. But with all kidding aside, he’s already given thought to how his role will change as he moves from being a student to a member of the U of L’s more than 37,000 alumni worldwide.

“I won’t directly see the ramifications of the donations we’ve received, but I think ultimately building a better university is good for southern Alberta as a whole and helps make our school one we can all be proud of,” he says. “When alumni show their support, it’s a vote of confidence in what the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is doing. It’s cool to be playing a part in helping projects go forward that will benefit future generations of students.”

Management alums establish Pereira Entrepreneurship Award

trevor.kenney — Wed, 19 Mar 2014 17:03:08 +0000

Faculty of Management alumni Anil Pereira (BMgt ’87) and Sheryl (Turnbull) Pereira (BMgt ’87) have established an endowment fund to support a new scholarship at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge – the Pereira Entrepreneurship Award.

This is the second scholarship fund that the Pereiras have established at their alma mater.

The $1,000 scholarship will be awarded annually and is aimed at high school applicants to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge who have been admitted to the Faculty of Management and who have exhibited high academic achievement. The recipient of the scholarship will have been previously involved in entrepreneurial activities (such as Junior Achievement, Canadian Youth Business Foundation, 4-H or self-directed initiatives) with an aptitude to further those interests through their studies at the U of L.

“Sheri and I have very fond memories of our time at the U of L since that is where we met and where we set the foundation for our future careers,” says Anil Pereira, currently on campus in his role as the Faculty of Management’s inaugural Executive in Residence. “During the time I have spent on campus this year, it’s clear that there is tremendous interest from many students in establishing entrepreneurial careers. Having spent the past 15 years working on entrepreneurial ventures myself, this scholarship seemed like the perfect way for us to help ignite and support the entrepreneurial spirit among the next generation of Faculty of Management graduates.”

Pereira and U of L President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Mike Mahon, recently met with Dave Hancock, then Minister of Innovation and Advanced Education to speak about the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's drive to enhance innovation and entrepreneurship on campus.

Anil Pereira is a well-known Silicon Valley entrepreneur and marketing executive with more than 20 years of hands-on experience at both start-up companies and global corporations. He is the founder and executive chairman of Verious and an advisor to a number of high-profile high technology startups. Earlier in his career he was an executive at leading companies including American Express and VeriSign. He graduated from the Faculty of Management in 1987 and was named the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s Alumnus of the Year in 2000. He is currently serving as the Faculty of Management’s inaugural Executive in Residence for 2013-2014. Anil also holds an MBA from the Wharton School of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Pennsylvania.

“Entrepreneurship is about taking risks. It’s about creating a vision for a business from scratch. It’s about following your own path and inspiring those around you to work their hardest to make a small, growing business succeed,” says Pereira. “Sheri and I see a lot of those qualities in students at the U of L and hope that this award helps in some small way to attract even more entrepreneurially-minded students to the Faculty of Management.”

This is the second scholarship fund that the Pereiras have established at their alma mater. The first (Derrick and Lytta Pereira Management Prize) was put into place by Anil in 1987. The scholarship fund was later endowed by the Pereiras to fund an annual award for a deserving student in the Faculty of Management’s MSc program.

“Looking back, it seems a bit funny that I started a scholarship right after graduating from the U of L, when we ourselves didn’t really have much in terms of financial resources – and that ’s putting it mildly!” says Pereira. “However, both of us were recipients of scholarships while at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and my parents were very supportive of my education. I felt an obligation from day one to pay some of that support back.”

With the establishment of the new Pereira Entrepreneurship Award, the Pereiras are seeking to inspire the entrepreneurial spirit of students in the Faculty of Management at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge for years to come.

Applicants for the Pereira Entrepreneurship Award are required to submit a 500-word essay that discusses their interest in entrepreneurship as well as the entrepreneurial activities they have been involved with or wish to undertake moving forward. Also required is a letter of recommendation from someone involved with the entrepreneurial activity.

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