I always knew I wanted to go to university after I graduated high school. I remember flipping through all the university handbooks and imagining different careers, and finally landing on Psychology at Laurentian. I remember feeling so excited when I was accepted, and spending the whole summer deciding what to bring for my first year in the Single Students Residence.
Despite being very excited to start University, I was also very worried about university fees, residence fees and the cost of everything else. In order to attend Laurentian, I had to leave my home town of Bradford and despite OSAP and my part-time job, it wasn’t enough to cover all of the costs. During my first year, I applied to as many awards that I was eligible for and received two donor funded awards. I am forever grateful to the donors who made these awards possible. They not only reduced the immediate amount of fees I had to pay, but because it was an award, it meant I wouldn’t have to worry about paying it back later!
I am now going into my 4th year, and have received five awards during my time at Laurentian. These awards have helped me every year to reduce financial stress and have allowed me to focus more on my studies.
I will always be thankful to the donors that helped me and countless other students reach our goals. They will never know how big of an impact they have made on my life, and the difference they make in students’ lives every day. Without these donors, I may not have had the opportunity to graduate on time, or be able to focus on getting good grades. One year from now, I will be a Laurentian alumna and off in the world doing a job I love thanks to these donors. I look forward to the day I will be able to give back to help students just like me.