Short paragraph or sentence.

The day I got my letter, I sat on my bed and stared at it. How was I going to tell my friends and family that I was going to University? It had always been a dream of mine to further my education with a university degree but my family, like many others lived paycheque to paycheque. I needed help. Lucky for me, there was OSAP. Unfortunately there was a time, mid second semester of my first year, where OSAP wasn’t enough and I started looking for a job.

Balancing life, school and work wouldn’t be easy and the stress of the situation was getting to me. Then I got the e-mail. I applied for as many awards as I could and was the successful recipient of an alumni donor funded award. That award was the light at the end of a very dark tunnel. I knew then that I would be ok. I would make it to the end of April.

The financial relief was overwhelming but there was something else also, the fact that someone out there that had never met me, wanted me to succeed. That they believed in me enough to make a donation has had such a tremendous impact on my life. Whoever, wherever you are: thank you. In less than a year, I will be a qualified teacher in Ontario. One day, I will give back because I was lucky enough to be given to.

I don’t really have a favourite memory but rather favourite memories of Laurentian University. I remember studying with my fellow engineering students in the J.N. Desmarais Library from early in the morning to late at night almost every day of the week, playing tennis on the campus courts, walking the trails and working out at the Ben Avery. Before starting the COOP program, I struggled financially, living day-day until I was the recipient of the Mason Kossatz Award which helped me make ends meet. It was my appreciation for this award that made me want to contribute to Laurentian so that I could help students the way I was helped. I support Laurentian because I know that the funds are used to improve the school and the educational experience of the students. Every time I visit Laurentian, I’m amazed by all the changes and innovations on campus and I can’t wait to come back and see more.

Receiving a bursary is definitely something to be proud of, but receiving a bursary in someone’s memory is “quite an honour,” according to Konrad Gorski, a third-year student at Laurentian University.

As a recipient of the Keith Sinclair Memorial Bursary, Gorski, who is majoring in Political Science and minoring in French and Spanish, believes this sort of achievement sends “a good message” to students.

“This inspires me to keep moving forward,” Gorski said. “This individual is well educated and respected, and I am attempting to go through the same steps and path that he did.”

The Keith Sinclair Memorial Bursary is a planned gift established by the family and friends in memory of the late Keith Sinclair. It is awarded to full-time students enrolled in a Political Science program, on the basis of academic standing, financial need, and Ontario residency by OSAP.

A planned gift is a great way of leaving a lasting legacy at Laurentian, as Mr. Keith Sinclair’s career serves as a prime example. Mr. Sinclair was the Chair of the Political Science Department, and was a member of virtually every departmental, faculty and university committee over the course of his 33 years at the University.

Gorski, whose parents are originally from Poland, said the idea of even being mentioned in the same breath as Mr. Sinclair makes him grateful for achieving such an award.

“I am a first generation student and my parents didn’t attend university,” Gorski said. “There are a lot of barriers and challenges that come with that, but it is quite an honour to have someone invest and believe in me. It sends a really powerful message.”

While this bursary inspires Gorski to continue to pursue a career in law or politics, it also encourages him to one day give back.

“It would simply be my duty to give back to the University,” said Gorski. “It would be such a great thing for me because I’ve received so much. Since I love this University, it would just be a joy. Receiving an award that represents someone of that stature helps out the students, and believe me, it gives a student a big boost. If I would make it, I would do the same.”

For more information regarding Laurentian University’s planned gift options, please call 705.675.4872 or email the Development office at development@laurentian.ca

Ever since he can remember, Christopher Baziw has dreamed of becoming an architect.

“Architecture has always been a passion and love of mine,” he said. “I was one of those kids who loved to play with Legos and was lucky enough to have parents that trusted me to build a tree fort out of lumber in my backyard.”

Now entering his third year at the Laurentian University McEwen School of Architecture, Baziw is working toward his goal and being recognized for his efforts.  He has been presented with the Peddler’s Pub Architecture Award, established by longtime downtown Sudbury business owners and strong Laurentian University supporters, the Gainer family.  The award recognizes students who demonstrate technical knowledge in their design work while maintaining a high grade point average.

Receiving the award is “absolutely gratifying” according to Baziw.

“It’s really great to have people notice me and all of my hard work,” Baziw said. “It makes me look back on all those long and extra hours of drawing, sketching and stressing out over exams. Receiving recognition like this makes all those days’ worth it.”

Completing architectural projects can be costly, but receiving a scholarship has provided Baziw with a sense of comfort and the financial relief to do his best work.

“This pushes me to work even harder now,” he said. “Architecture is very expensive because for a lot of our projects you need to sketch out drawings and need that extra material to complete a project. This will help me to not be afraid to go over my budget to complete a project.”

Baziw has been excelling inside the classroom thanks to the generous support he has received, which has also allowed him to better enjoy the unique hands-on learning experiences the Architecture program provides. This past year, Baziw and nine other students travelled to the town of Dinkelsbühl, Germany for five weeks to work alongside their professor, Randall Kober.

“This wasn’t the average backpacking across Europe trip,” Baziw said. “It was a fully involved study trip to learn about architecture, and more specifically, wood construction practices around Europe.”

He and his fellow students worked on carpentry projects which entailed the reconstruction of an attic space and roof structure in a nearly 800 year old house, and a stairway that connects a house and a garden located within an old medieval wall.  They also travelled to Austria and Switzerland to observe unique architectural designs, and concluded their trip by visiting and showcasing their own work at an exhibit alongside schools from around the world at a conference in Vienna.

“This trip motivated me in so many ways and broadened my understanding of architecture completely,” Baziw said. “It really gave me the opportunity to push forward the designs I create and appreciate the Canadian buildings I study.  I will be able to look back on this for the rest of my education to pull up inspiration and ideas, it really was the trip of a lifetime.”

Contact the Development Office to learn more about supporting the Laurentian University McEwen School of Architecture.

While Canada has been his home since he was nine years old, Konstantin Manukyan is a long way from his birthplace of St. Petersburg, Russia.  The incredible buildings that surrounded him in those early days sparked a deep passion for architecture; however, pursuing this interest may not have been possible in his home country.

“It would have been a different experience,” he said. “The education system is very different. It’s shorter and you have to go into the military for a couple of months. I just don’t see myself studying architecture if I was still there.”

Instead, Manukyan chose to study at Laurentian University’s McEwen School of Architecture, and he has quickly distinguished himself through his hard work.  Last year, he was named the recipient of the Northeastern Ontario Construction Association Architecture Scholarship.

Established by the Northeastern Ontario Construction Association (NOCA), the scholarship is awarded annually to one full-time student, who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, entering his or her first year of study at the McEwen School of Architecture. The NOCA is part of the Industrial, Commercial and Institutional (ICI) construction sector that supports contractors, manufacturers and suppliers, service providers, consulting firms, and training and personnel providers. The ultimate purpose of the award is to help attract bright young architects to Northern Ontario.

“It [the scholarship] came as a surprise to me because I wasn’t really thinking about it,” Manukyan said. “From what I understand, they only have 10 scholarships planned like this. Being one of the 10 is special to me. It makes you realize that there is something to work towards because you are benefiting from it. It definitely pushes me.”

Manukyan said he wants to work as a professional architect one day, and hopes to have an influence on sustainable design practices. Illustrating the importance of creating environmentally sustainable buildings is a big part of the McEwen School of Architecture’s curriculum.

“The environment is very important,” he said. “The environment plays a big role in everyone’s life and climate change is a striking issue and one that is not slowing down anytime soon. Sustainable design looks at things long term to help reduce the carbon footprint. Maybe in the future I can also build more green buildings and houses to help preserve what we have.”

To learn more about supporting the McEwen School of Architecture, please contact the Development Office at Laurentian University.