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ALUMNI GIVE BACK: LEADING WITH GENEROSITY
This past year, the Alumni Association was proud to support current students and future BCIT alumni through awards, scholarships, and bursaries. In partnership with BCIT Foundation, we have awarded 1,090 student scholarships and bursaries totalling more than nearly $1.48 million since 1985.
While BCIT alumni are well known as leaders in their fields, they are also generous supporters. Whether giving of their time, talent, or treasure, our alumni shared without hesitation to help current students on their educational journeys. From sharing encouragement to donating to support student awards, our alumni are leaders in philanthropy.
Learn about how you can support BCIT students: bcit.ca/alumni/give
Alumni Share Words Of Encouragement With Bcit Students
When BCIT alumni learned that they could give current students a much-needed boost, they stepped up. In November 2022, the alumni community was asked to share their personal messages of encouragement with students through the Caring Cards campaign. The purpose of the initiative was to remind students that, despite the challenges they may be facing, they are not alone and people are cheering for them. BCIT alumni sent in more than 370 messages, which were personally distributed by BCIT Alumni Relations and Foundation staff to students on National Philanthropy Day.
“The Caring Cards were well received by students, who seemed genuinely surprised and appreciative,” says Laura Vail, Senior Director, BCIT Student Success. “Many expressed such sincere gratitude, with some gathering to compare and discuss their messages.” ∆
BCIT ALUMNI ASSOCIATION DONATES $4.8K TO HELP FEED BCIT STUDENTS
While food insecurity is something that no one should have to face, it is a sad reality for many students. According to the BCIT Student Association (BCITSA), post-secondary students in Canada are especially vulnerable, with more than 50 per cent of international and domestic students experiencing average-to-extreme levels of food insecurity. To help, the BCIT Alumni Association donated $4,800 to the BCITSA’s Food Pantry, which gives students access to free nutritional food items on a drop-in basis. This sponsorship provides the equivalent of approximately $400 in groceries every month for an entire year.
“Studying is difficult enough; studying while hungry is often insurmountable,” says alum and BCIT Alumni Association Director Reshmeena Lalani. “The Food Pantry directly supports students in their education, and the Alumni Association wanted to be able to support that with this donation.” ∆
STUDENT AWARDS DISBURSED ON BEHALF OF THE BCIT ALUMNI ASSOCIATION IN 2022/23
In 2022/23, 32 awards totalling $54,732 were disbursed as follows:
JUNE 2022 – GRADUATING AWARDS
The BCIT Alumni Association Awards
Thi Thanh Thao Vu, International Business Management
Sean Clayton, International Business Management
Kelsey Winters, Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering
Lucas Hall, Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering
SEPTEMBER 2022 – ENTRANCE AWARDS
The BCIT Alumni Association Entrance Awards
Patricia Jiang, Digital Design and Development
Margarita Khomchyk, Architectural and Building Technology
Jarrett Lee, Prosthetics and Orthotics
Jacob McCormick, Television and Video Production
Nicole Piner, Diagnostic Medical Sonography
– General & Cardiac Sonography Option
FALL 2022 – SCHOLARSHIPS
The BCIT Alumni Association Scholarships
Daniel Mah, Business Operations Management
Sally Kai Lam Poon, Comp Systems – Predictive Analytics
Linden McCallum, Geomatics Engineering Technology
Lee Schmeisser, Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering
Mairead Raupach, Diagnostic Medical Sonography
– General & Cardiac Sonography Option
Kara Perehudoff, Nautical Sciences
JANUARY 2023 – ENTRANCE AWARDS
The BCIT Alumni Association Entrance Award
Alea Mclaren, Aircraft Maintenance Engineer Category E (Electronics)
MARCH 2023 – BURSARIES
The BCIT Alumni Association Bursaries
Bursaries were awarded to 16 students in financial need. ∆
Award And Bursary Totals Since Associaion Inception
1,090 students have benefitted from the awards, receiving a total of $1,487,733.
Endowment Values
AT MARCH 31, 2023
BCIT Alumni Association Scholarship and Bursary Endowment (Vancouver Foundation) $810,000
BCIT Alumni Association Scholarship and Bursary Endowment (BCIT Foundation) $432,460
TOTAL: $1,242,460