I am always delighted to spend time with our students in Vancouver and the Okanagan and today I got to do both as I welcomed thousands of new students to our campuses in two boisterous rallies!
In addition to welcoming the students, I also had the great pleasure of announcing that not only had the Blue & Gold Campaign for Students hit its fundraising target of $100 million ahead of schedule, the campaign is being doubled to reach $200 million by 2022!
I never forget that students are at the heart of what we do. When I first came to UBC, I wanted to make it a priority to enhance the student experience and ensure that more promising students would have the financial help to access life-changing education. Our Blue & Gold Campaign for Students goes a long way to helping achieve this and shows the positive impact donors have on our community.
The Blue & Gold Campaign is the largest fundraising campaign for students in UBC’s 104-year history. More than 6,500 UBC students received some kind of donor-funded support last year alone, thanks, in part, to the 15,820 donors who have generously contributed to the Blue & Gold Campaign so far.
Meet a Blue & Gold student!
Joban Bal is a recent biology student who is now embarking on a career in medicine through UBC’s medical school. During his time at UBC, Bal founded the One Blood For Life Foundation in response to the growing need for blood and stem cell donations from a younger and more ethnically diverse population.
“[Donor funding] gave me the opportunity to focus on academics and my community work. I am able to explore my passions and make a contribution to a better world. But more than that – the idea that someone is investing in me and the direction I’m taking, it makes me that much more driven,” said Bal.
For more information about the Blue & Gold Campaign for Students, visit: support.ubc.ca/blueandgold
Santa J. Ono
President and Vice-Chancellor