With its goal of $110 million, UNB’s It Begins Here campaign — the most ambitious fundraising effort in the university’s history — is undertaken with people like Ethan Augustine in mind.
Mr. Augustine, a third-year biology major from Metepenagiag First Nation, is a dedicated student, driven to top academic achievement and inspired by family to pursue education.
Supported in his studies at UNB by a Lord Beaverbrook Scholarship and active in campus life, he aspires to one day be a leader back in his community so that he, in turn, can serve as an inspiration to the next generation.
The fundraising campaign begins with people like Mr. Augustine because $55 million — half of the campaign target — is dedicated to giving students a helping hand by funding scholarships and bursaries as well as experiential learning opportunities.
“We want to give our students a great start by improving access to quality education, supporting excellence and creating new opportunities to apply what they learn,” says UNB alumnus David Ganong (BBA’65, LLD’12), executive vice-chair of Ganong Bros. Limited and a co-chair for the campaign.
The other half will be used to enhance UNB’s faculties and academic programs.
“We want to build on our academic strengths because we are better at what we do, in key areas, than any university in Canada,” says Dr. Ganong. “We want to lead Canada’s next wave of innovation because, for more than 230 years, UNB has been a force for change. And we want to prepare our students to succeed in the world, because they will be the architects of New Brunswick’s future.”
Joining him in leading the campaign is fellow alum Robert Quartermain (BSc’77, DSc’09). When the campaign launched to the public in November, 2016, the executive chairman of Pretivm Resources Inc. announced a personal commitment of $500,000.
“Our experience at university sets the stage for the continual learning that is essential to a successful life,” says Dr. Quartermain. “UNB provides its students with a foundational experience. I want to support that, and I encourage alumni to join me in making this campaign for UNB an outstanding success.”
Thanks to the generosity of alumni, friends, corporations and foundations, the It Begins Here campaign had — by October, 2017 — raised more than 90 per cent of its goal.
