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TRU Connections | Donors

Collaborating with the community that drives us. Donors are crucial partners in our success. Philanthropic support continues to drive student achievement through awards and partnerships that see TRU graduates making a difference in their field. Because of donor generosity, students are better equipped to excel and meet global challenges.

Philanthropy in actionThe thought of mounting student debt and the responsibilities of being a mother of three weighed heavily on Shannon Russell as she embarked on the first of four years of her nursing degree in 2018. Russell expects to be over $100,000 in debt by the time she holds her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, but the real loss is time missed with her children as she works full time with a full university course load. Receiving the $10,000 Reginald Harold Broadbear Bursary meant one important thing for Russell: The ability to balance motherhood and education.

“That’s the difference between me being able to tuck my kids into bed at night,” Russell said. “Honestly, it’s the difference between me being a mom while I’m going to school or not being present. It helps me be a role model for them.”

With tuition costs increasing every year, post-secondary education is out of reach for many. Donors are creating transformational experiences by funding education through awards, capital and programs that make a world-class education possible. Every dollar pledged on a monthly or annual basis helps grow TRU’s student assistance endowment, which supports students like Shannon Russell.

September 2019 Issue 1

Mike and Lynda Pitura (left/right), and student Shannon Russell (center)

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MEET OUR MONTHLY DONORS JACK AND VERNA MILLER

Through monthly donations, Jack and Verna Miller support awards for cross-country student-athletes and Indigenous students in the Bachelor of Education program. They have also generously pledged a planned gift.

Thank you Jack and Verna for your unwavering support.

Because you gave

1,030 students received a donor-funded award last year

Donor-funded awards totalled $1.6M

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FOUNDATION NEWS

Kamloops lawyer Lorianna Bennett and her daughter

Distinguished Alum dedicates legacy gift to future community leaders Much has changed at TRU since Kamloops lawyer Lorianna Bennett enrolled in the Bachelor of Science program in 1990—but not everything.

Still the same are the small class sizes, knowledgeable faculty and directed study opportunities that made Bennett’s early education so memorable. Her desire to create a scholarship for future students—by leaving a donation to TRU in her will—is rooted in her own experience at her alma mater. An entrance scholarship Bennett received was a significant financial benefit to her during her time in post-secondary.

“I want to recognize the institution that helped me, and I’ve always advocated for my clients who are looking to create a will to give to a charity, and to consider a charity that they have a connection to,” she said.

“You can plan to leave a legacy while still providing for your family and that legacy can look different years down the road once your family is grown,” Bennett said. “There is no doubt TRU will always have a place in my will. Whatever contribution I make, whether big or small, it’s nice to know that I’ll be giving something to assist our future generation of students.”

For information on how to leave a gift in your will to TRU, contact Sarah Sandholm, director of development for planned giving at ssandholm@tru.ca or 250-371-5702.

TRU alum Lorianna Bennett is paying it

forward to future students with a legacy

gift to TRU.—Lorianna Bennett

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DID YOU KNOW?Making a gift of assets such as stocks or mutual funds can offer attractive tax saving advantages to donors. There are significant advantages in donating publicly listed securities directly to a charity, rather than selling the stock and then donating the proceeds. When donating securities that have an appreciated value, there is a double tax saving: the donor is exempt from paying a capital gains tax and the donor receives a tax credit of 43.7 percent. Contact us for more information: Sarah Sandholm at ssandholm@tru.ca or 250-371-5702.

Nursing faculty donate to support students interested in the care of refugeesNursing students interested in the care of refugees now have an opportunity to receive financial aid through a new award established by two faculty members.

Retired faculty member Penelope Heaslip and current faculty member and TRU alum Wendy McKenzie have established an endowment that will fund an annual award for a third- or fourth-

year nursing student who has demonstrated a commitment to the care of refugees, immigrants and vulnerable populations—especially women and children.

Heaslip taught global health until she retired in 2009 and McKenzie also teaches global health while focusing her research on disaster nursing. International practice experiences take TRU nursing students, accompanied by faculty members, to Nepal, Samoa, Thailand and Lesotho.

“There’s an opportunity for students who may never go global, but can act local and get involved in community organizations or a nursing project where they are supporting refugees, immigrants, women and vulnerable children,” Heaslip said.

They teamed up to create the award to ease some of the financial strain for students with these interests, maybe even making it possible for them to go on a global exchange. There is a movement amongst faculty to create awards as a group in order to leave an impactful legacy.Retired faculty member Penelope Heaslip and current faculty

member and TRU alum Wendy McKenzie

“There’s an opportunity for students

who may never go global, but can act

local and get involved in community

organizations…”—Penelope Heaslip

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Adventure on the High Seas Gala raises thousands for student supportWhen the tides receded, $61,000 had been raised for students during Adventure on the High Seas, the 2019 TRU Foundation Gala held in the Grand Hall in February. More than 300 friends of TRU gathered to support higher education at the glamourous event co-sponsored by BMO Bank of Montreal and BDO Canada LLP.

Donors bid on 51 auction items at the sold-out Gala, opening their wallets to support student scholarships, bursaries and awards through the TRU Foundation. Thank you to all who attended. We look forward to seeing you next year at the 2020 Gala, slated for Feb. 8, 2020.

XXXXX“Seeing students achieve their educational goals and then making

contributions to the community in their fields of study is simply fantastic.”

—Greg Garrish, 2018 Day of Giving donor

Day of Giving TRU’s second annual Day of Giving raised $50,655 in November 2018. The 36-hour fundraising campaign gives TRU alumni and donors a chance to impact current and future students, with the opportunity to contribute to scholarships, bursaries and programs across the university. This year’s Day of Giving kicks off at the 2019 TRU Foundation Breakfast on Nov. 7.

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UNIVERSITY NEWS

TRU Community Legal Clinic successThe clinic has just celebrated reaching the 1,000-file mark in its three and a half years of operation. Not only has the number of files continuously grown over that time, but the centre is adding more services and expanding to regional communities.

The clinic opened in February of 2016 with three students and one supervising lawyer. It now has between eight and 12 students with two full-time and one part-time supervising lawyers. A social worker and social work practicum students also serve the clinic.

TRU seeks community participation in setting new visionIn January, TRU welcomed Dr. Brett Fairbairn to the role of president. In March, Dr. Fairbairn officially started the process of establishing a new 10-year vision and new set of strategic priorities for TRU. Envision TRU will be a year-long process and involves many ways for the internal community and broader public to share their thoughts on what the future of TRU could look like. As donors, your input is greatly valued. Visit the website at tru.ca/envision to learn how to get involved. There are opportunities to share your thoughts easily online, in group discussions, or through a written submission.

Scholarship recipient named valedictorianComputing science grad Marco Lussetti was one of the first three students to receive the Dr. Sherman Jen Scholarship for Science, awarded for the first time in the fall of 2018. This spring he was named Faculty of Science valedictorian, representing the class of 2019 at convocation.

Originally hailing from Italy, Lussetti had strong family ties in Kamloops and waded through the immigration process to become a Canadian resident before starting his journey at TRU. Lussetti worked as as a research assistant in his last semester helping to generate fake patient data that can be used in research without the restrictions of working with real patient information. Lussetti is amazed at the many opportunities undergrads have to conduct research at TRU.Marco Lussetti

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Building a healthier futureWith TRU’s new Nursing and Population Health Building taking shape in Kamloops, supporters of the university see it as an opportunity to aid BC’s overworked health-care providers. That’s one driver for donors who have pledged more than $3.5 million toward the project. The total cost tallies $37.2 million and completion is anticipated for September 2020. $1.5M in private funding is

still needed. Current capital projects on TRU’s campus also include a $5-million modernization of classrooms in Old Main, completed over the last year. Two private residential buildings will also be completed this fall in the first phase of The Reach, TRU’s vision for a university village. To learn about active capital projects, visit tru.ca/capitalprojects.

Nursing and Population Health Building rendering

TRU celebrates achieving accelerated accreditationThompson Rivers University has been granted accreditation by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) two years ahead of schedule. This makes TRU the first institution in BC to achieve accreditation from the commission in less than three years (the candidacy period is usually five years). Simon Fraser University and Capilano University also have NWCCU accreditation in British Columbia.

“We are amazed, gratified, and humbled. This wasn’t expected for at least another two years,”

said TRU President Brett Fairbairn. “NWCCU accreditation is an external validation process akin to peer review, with the outcome attesting publicly to TRU’s credibility and effectiveness in fulfilling its mission. Accreditation provides our students the assurance of a quality education at TRU and sends a signal we are serious about being the best we can be. Achieving accreditation does not mean our work is finished; rather it sets us on a path of continual quality improvement.”

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ALUMNI NEWS

School of Trades and Technology alum Taylor Ross

Trades alum’s award-winning business wired for successBC Business magazine’s annual 30 Under 30 list celebrates young entrepreneurs at the top of their game from throughout the province, and TRU School of Trades and Technology alum Taylor Ross makes the cut this year for their sixth edition.

Ross started his electrical contracting business, TDR Electric, in the Lower Mainland in 2015. In March, he was notified about his award, which

recognizes those who have built successful enterprises with a social purpose—from protecting the environment to doing business more responsibly.

“I was shocked at first,” Ross said. “But I am grateful for this acknowledgement and excited to see what’s next.”

Ross credits his company’s impressive growth over the past few years for catching the attention of BC Business, as well as his team’s customer service efforts to stand out from the countless competitors operating in the Lower Mainland.

“I was shocked at first, but I am grateful

for this acknowledgement and excited

to see what’s next.”—Taylor Ross

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TRU presents Distinguished Alumni AwardsAstrobiologist Dr. Bruce Damer was presented the 2019 Distinguished Alumni Research Award on March 29 for his remarkable contributions in the fields of science and technology. Damer began undergraduate studies in computer science at Cariboo College in the early 1980s and is now an associate researcher in the department of Biomolecular Engineering at the University of California Santa Cruz and an associate of the NASA Astrobiology Centre.

TRU also presented LMG Finance with the 2019 Milestone Achievement Award. Adil Hosenbocus (BBA ‘11) was awarded the 2019 Career Mentor of the Year Award. Kaitlin Lomas (BA ‘18) and Payton Comazzetto (BA ‘18) were both presented the Neil Russell Student Leadership Award. Shae-Lynn Forseille (BTM ‘19) was awarded the TD Insurance Meloche Monnex Scholarship.

Astrobiologist Dr. Bruce Damer

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CONTACT USDiana Major | Director of Development, Annual Giving dmajor@tru.ca | 250-852-7139

IMPORTANT DATES

TRU Foundation Breakfast In support of the School of Business & Economics with guest speaker, Dawn Desjardins, Vice President & Deputy Chief Economist, RBC Royal Bank November 7 | Grand Hall, Campus Activity Centre

RSVP by Thursday, Oct. 31 to 250-828-5264 or advancementevents@tru.ca

TRU Day of GivingNovember 7-8 | tru.ca/dayofgiving

TRU Foundation Award CeremonyNovember 28

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SAVE THE DATENovember 7 and 8

What Donors SayScholarships helped my daughter focus on nursing and basketball. She had little time for a job to help offset expenses. I am very proud of her and want to help other students facing the same athletic and academic challenges.

~Kelly Bos

I love being part of the solution. The great thing about the Day of Giving is watching the amount rise because it is a team event. It is the accumulation of the collective efforts. I love this.

~Arlene Olynyk

Our community benefits tremendously from having a strong and well-supported Visual Arts Department within our local university. The arts add vibrancy to our lives and they nourish understanding and connection. We are fortunate to have TRU and the committed visual arts faculty. Here’s to $36,000 in 36 hours.

~Margaret Chrumka

I had a quality education at TRU 20 years ago and I want to ensure the standard remains high. Sustainability and forward planning for the future are paramount and I want to invest in students now.

~Delores Fournier

In memory of Saba Dhaliwal - Beloved father and master mechanic. ~JD Law Corporation

Providing education opportunities to everyone who wants them is the best investment we can make to creating a tolerant, giving and vibrant community. ~Kathy Humphrey

I am paying it forward. I feel education is important & received benefit from the education I received.~Robin MacDonald

A TRU DAY OF GIVINGTRU’s third Day of Giving is back this fall. The 36-hour fundraising campaign gives TRU alumni and donors a chance to impact current and future students, with the opportunity to contribute to scholarships, bursaries and programs across the university.

Our goal is to exceed last year’s total of $50,655 raised in 36 hours. From 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, November 7, to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, November 8, alumni and donors can make an online gift at tru.ca/givingday or by calling us on these days during business hours (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) at 250-828-5264.

Donations of all sizes make an impact. Watch our website at tru.ca/givingday for more information. Thank you for your support!

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