“When I got my award the first time around I literally cried in the hallway because of the happiness I felt at being able to attend my second term,” said Eliza Kuriyapulli-Anthony.
Eliza, a second year student in Business Administration at the NSCC Amherst Learning Centre, was a guest speaker at the official launch of the NSCC Foundation’s Make Way campaign Thursday afternoon at the Amherst Learning Centre.
“I’ve had a long journey, coming all the way from India and finally ending up here at NSCC. This is my second home,” said Eliza.
Halfway through her first year at NSCC Eliza realized she didn’t have enough money to pay for her second term.
“I was really disappointed because I wanted to come back and didn’t know what resources I could access to get to that point, said Eliza.
She talked to NSCC administration and learned about 14 awards and bursaries she could apply for, and said she was shocked, and very grateful, at the amount of assistance she was able to access.
“Attending a second term wouldn’t have been possible without the financial aid I received and I am really grateful to the foundation for having given me this opportunity and for finding me worthy of awards to further my education,” said Eliza. “I’m here today making so many strides in my personal life, my professional life, and in my education trying to build the things I only dreamt of. I never thought it could be possible but here I am doing it.”
Make Way will provide more assistance to more students
The NSCC Foundation awarded 1,000 scholarships and bursaries in 2016-2017, and helped 850 students through unforeseen circumstances with urgent aid.
However, it received 16,000 applications for awards that same year. The funds invested at NSCC through Make Way will mean more resources to help students like Eliza.
The goal is to raise $25 million
Make Way has engaged business and community leaders over the past two years and has raised over $21 million provincially. The goal is to reach the $25 million mark.
The campaign began in June of 2015 when The Joyce Family Foundation donated $4.6 million to NSCC. Recently, members of the Sobeys family committed $6.5 million to Make Way, pushing the total pledged to date past $21 million.
That money is spread throughout NSCC’s 13 campuses, and each campus is raising money to reach the $25 million mark.
Cumberland Campus to raise $500,000
“The campus campaigns aim to collectively raise $5.5 million, and each campus has its own fundraising goal,” said Don MacCormick, principal at NSCC Cumberland Campus, while speaking at the launch. “We are now starting a year-long community phase where the goal is to raise $500,000 that will support and stay at the Cumberland Campus in Springhill and at our Amherst Learning Centre here.”
Hoffman family donates $25,000
David Hoffman, co-CEO at Oxford Frozen Foods in Oxford and a member of the Make Way campaign advisory team, also spoke at the launch.
He hopes the campaign exceeds $25 million mark.
“We’re going to be looking for donations from people from across the whole county to try to achieve our goal and then to surpass it,” said Hoffman. “We’re not going to be satisfied with achieving it, we’re going to keep going, and hopefully this time next year we’ll be able to get together and be able to celebrate a successful campaign right here in Cumberland County.”
Hoffman reinforced his support to the program by announcing, “My family is committed to donate $25,000 to get this underway, and see if we can’t make this all come together.”
Kuriyapulli-Anthony said students should seek financial assistance.
“What I would suggest to everyone here is please apply and please, please, try because if I can do it everyone here definitely can,” she said. “This campaign is going to make it easier because the increase in the amount of awards. I did not expect it to happen but it did, so it might happen for you too.”
For more information on the Make Way campaign go to https://www.nscc.ca/makeway/
