UNews - www.uleth.ca/bridge/sos

Convocation, a time for celebration and reflection

trevor.kenney — Fri, 23 May 2014 21:49:06 +0000

It was the night before a big exam, and Benjamin Young, then a second-year student at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, was burning the midnight oil, struggling to understand a concept that would be covered the next day. It was at that unlikely moment he looked up and saw the professor for the class walking down the hall.

“It was the middle of the night, but I flagged him down and asked him a question. Despite the time, he sat there with me for probably half-an-hour to 45 minutes to help me understand the subject,” recounts Young. “Because of his help, I did great on the test the next day.”

The scene easily ranks beside those in movies like Mr. Holland’s Opus and it will always stick out in Young’s mind. Even so, it was not something that surprised him. Young explains that while the example was memorable, it really was just a reflection of the entire five years he’s had at the U of L.

Ben Young reflects back on his ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ education and the supports he received along the way.

“It’s that level of dedication you find in professors at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. You’re not just a number; most professors make a conscious effort to learn all their students’ names,” he says. “All of the professors I’ve encountered go above and beyond teaching in the classroom. They’re willing to help in whatever aspects a student needs.”

That personal support has also extended to Young as a recipient of various financial awards. Money, he explains, that has enabled him to make the most of his education.

“Scholarships allowed me to focus on my studies and pursue other educational opportunities outside the classroom. If you’re working all the time, it limits what you can do in your undergrad, and you lose out on some of those experiences,” he says.

For Young, some of those opportunities have included six co-ops with companies such as with Western Economic Diversification and Enbridge. He’s researched alongside political science professors, even being credited for his contributions in a published paper, and received a travel award that allowed him to volunteer with Operation Groundswell in East Africa.

“Scholarships really do make a big difference in a student’s life; they gave me opportunities I wouldn’t have otherwise had. Scholarships provide a structure that enable you to succeed.”

Young also credits the liberal arts education offered at the U of L as a key factor in his journey.

“The liberal arts requirements forced me to take classes I may never have otherwise taken, such as Great Books Across the Disciplines. Liberal education is a real benefit for undergrads, it gives you a breadth of information and knowledge, and makes you a more well-rounded individual,” says Young.

Young will proudly don a cap and gown at the 2014 Spring Convocation. While the ceremony will officially grant him his degree, it will also be a time to recognize the many people who walked alongside him.

“It will feel pretty good to cross the stage; it’s a real sense of accomplishment. It’s been a lot of work, but my whole undergrad has been a great experience for me,” he says. “The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community as a whole just provides so much support to students in various ways. I found that any time I needed anything, the community was there for me. I’m just really thankful to everyone who had a hand in that.”

To make a gift to SOS, or for more information, please visit: www.uleth.ca/giving. You may also sign up to make monthly gifts through payroll deduction at www.uleth.ca/bridge/sos. Your gift is tax deductible and you may give to any area on campus that is meaningful to you.

Supporting Our Students plays role in student achievement

trevor.kenney — Tue, 20 May 2014 18:18:16 +0000

On May 29 and 30, the campus will be dressed up by caps and gowns, flowers and photographs as the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge community comes together to celebrate convocation and the accomplishments of more than 1,400 graduates.

The next Supporting Our Students campaign milestone is to achieve 250 donors, another 30 participants, before May 31, 2014.

Many people play a supportive role in the life of a student. From friends and family to faculty and staff, a strong support system is crucial to student success. Less conspicuous in the everyday life of a student, scholarships and bursaries also play an important part in helping students achieve their dreams and aspirations.

In 2013, approximately 2,100 scholarships and bursaries were awarded to students, totalling more than $3.5 million. Part of that contribution comes from faculty, staff and retirees who donate to the Supporting Our Students campaign. So, as the 2013-2014 campaign comes to a close, SOS Co-Chairs Lorne Williams, dean of Northern Campuses, and Linda Embury (now retired) want to remind the U of L community that their ongoing support is essential.

In summarizing the 2013/14 campaign, Williams is both proud and optimistic.

“Convocation is a good reminder to reflect on all of our accomplishments, and that includes those of the SOS committee. By the end of 2013, 377 faculty, staff and retirees were participating by supporting students and together we raised more than $177,000,” says Williams. “Each January we set new goals for the upcoming calendar year, so that we can ensure the dollars are there when students need. So our next milestone is to achieve 250 donors, another 30 participants, before May 31, 2014.”

As our campus community gets ready to celebrate convocation, Williams leaves an important reminder.

“As you participate in Convocation, please remember that each and every student is there because of the contributions of many individuals, and I believe we should all take great pride in the part we play. Our job as instructors and administrators is to facilitate student success in ways that most benefit the individual. Giving to SOS, in large or small ways, helps students go forward and become positive forces in the world. So if you haven’t yet made your SOS gift, there is still time”, Williams emphasizes. “Please join the SOS Committee members, your colleagues and peers, and donate to help students succeed."

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Abbondànza, a night like no other

trevor.kenney — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 22:46:02 +0000

Fine arts professors, students and a local restaurant have once again joined forces for a good cause – fine arts student scholarships.

The 12th annual Abbondànza, an evening of gourmet food, fine arts and fun fills CoCo Pazzo Italian Café on Saturday, Jan. 26 at 6 p.m.

"We are pleased to participate in this exciting event," says Tony Rose, CoCo Pazzo co-owner. "It is unlike anything else that goes on in this city!"

The annual Abbondànza evening is one of the most anticipated events of the year.

The festivities include a unique menu highlighting the cuisine of Italy prepared by CoCo's expert chefs, accompanied by tasty music, works of art, drama and humour provided by the Faculty of Fine Arts. Guests vote in a most unusual way for their favourite course and the evening ends with the presentation of the Abbondànza Culinary Trophy, which hangs prominently in the restaurant for the rest of the year.

"We have some good news we want to share with everyone," says Doug MacArthur, Abbondànza Organizing Committee Chair. "Abbondànza is Italian for abundance and thanks to the abundant support from the community, we are approaching our $1-million goal for the Abbondànza Endowment Fund."

Creating an endowment fund ensures that donations in support of student scholarship continue to work far into the future.

"If anyone in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community wants to support our students and help us reach our goal a little faster, they are welcome to make a donation to the Abbondànza Endowment Fund," says MacArthur. "No gift is too small or too large."

Cash and cheque donations can be dropped off in W627 or faculty and staff can use the handy payroll deduction option available through the Bridge (www.uleth.ca/bridge/sos) by clicking Abbondànza Endowment Fund in the gift designation section.

Tickets for Abbondànza 2013 are $150 (include $75 income tax receipt). Call Katherine Wasiak at 403-329-2227 as soon as possible for tickets, as very few remain.

This story first appeared in the January 2013 edition of the Legend. To view the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Online payment comes to SOS

trevor.kenney — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 20:20:04 +0000

Other than the birds, there is not much activity on campus at 5 a.m., and yet one ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge faculty or staff member was already making a difference by contributing to Supporting Our Students (SOS). This early morning act of generosity was made possible by the new online payroll deduction form launched last month.

"This is exactly the type of support we wanted to enable," says Jamie Chinn (BSc '03), business systems analyst in information technology services enterprise systems, who was the driving force behind the new form. "We needed to capture the people who are motivated to make a gift but want the process to be simple and immediate."

Pictured (l to r) are Rahim Kanjiyani, Jamie Chinn and Darin McGee, the IT team that created the new online deduction form for the Supporting Our Students campaign.

As an SOS volunteer, Chinn actively promotes the campaign. In talking to faculty and staff across campus, it became clear that the paper form was a problem.

"We wanted to remove that barrier and make it as easy as possible for faculty and staff to make their gift through payroll deduction," says Chinn.

While developing an online form may seem simple, there was a lot of activity behind the scenes. Chinn worked with people in departments across campus, such as Anna Linville in advancement, Joel Makin in financial services and Deb Robb in human resources to make sure that the final product would meet everyone's needs.

"Everyone really came together over this project," says Chinn. "I think that shows the commitment of U of L faculty and staff to our students. We are not only contributing money to a scholarship campaign, we're giving of our time and our expertise to make sure that campaign is successful. It's a strong statement about the community here."

Once a plan was in place, Chinn passed the project off to Darin McGee (BSc '09) and Rahim Kanjiyani to build. The two programmer analysts donated their time on evenings and weekends to complete the project.

"I'm still paying for my own education, so this was a different way for me to get involved and give back," says McGee, who is happy to be able to contribute in a meaningful way.

It is difficult to calculate the total number of hours spent on this project but the trio of volunteers agrees it was more than originally estimated. Despite the challenges, they all see it as time well spent.

"I was happy to pay it forward," says Chinn. "I donate to SOS but one person can only do so much. By making giving that much easier, this tool will hopefully help enhance the culture of support at the U of L and perpetuate faculty and staff giving across campus."

To make your gift through payroll deduction, simply log in to the Bridge (www.uleth.ca/bridge/sos), click the Employee tab, click Supporting Our Students and follow the instructions.

This story first appeared in the June 2012 issue of the Legend. For a look at the entire issue in flipbook format, follow this link.

Online payment comes to SOS

trevor.kenney — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 19:46:42 +0000

Pictured (l to r) are Rahim Kanjiyani, Jamie Chinn and Darin McGee, the IT team that created the new online deduction form for the Supporting Our Students campaign.

As an SOS volunteer, Chinn actively promotes the campaign. In talking to faculty and staff across campus, it became clear that the paper form was a problem.

"We wanted to remove that barrier and make it as easy as possible for faculty and staff to make their gift through payroll deduction," says Chinn.

"I'm still paying for my own education, so this was a different way for me to get involved and give back," says McGee, who is happy to be able to contribute in a meaningful way.

To make your gift through payroll deduction, simply log in to the Bridge (www.uleth.ca/bridge/sos), click the Employee tab, click Supporting Our Students and follow the instructions.

This story first appeared in the June 2012 issue of the Legend. For a look at the entire issue in flipbook format, follow this link.

UNews - www.uleth.ca/bridge/sos

Convocation, a time for celebration and reflection

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