Langara College Foundation Annual Report - 2022

Impact of your giving.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

[ 2 ] Changing times, changing needs.

[ 4 ] In the pursuit of knowledge and sport.

[ 8 ] Supporting a career change and finding one’s passion.

25 New awards created

Bursaries

$462,868

Scholarships

$446,100

Other projects

$632,244

Total distributions for 2022 = $1,541,212

DONATIONS RECEIVED 2015–2022

SUMMARY OF DONATIONS 2022

Annual/other donations

$806,533

Endowed donations

$280,733

Total donations for 2022 = $1,087,266

In the pursuit of knowledge and sport.

HOW THE KINDNESS OF A FAMILY HELPED A STUDENT CONNECT SPORTS AND ACADEMICS

Claire Huang is a first-year kinesiology student and athlete. Her love of sports began at a young age and led to a successful athletic career while she attended Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School. There, she played several sports including basketball, volleyball and softball.

As she entered her final years of high school, she started to worry more about finances and wondered if she would need to take a gap year to fund her education. Although she had been working parttime since she was in Grade 9, she knew she would need to transition to a full-time position to be able to save up for tuition.

There are many students like Claire who worry about financial stability as they enter post-secondary school. Brothers and Langara alumni, Harjit and Ranjit Sangra, knew they wanted to give back to Langara. As alumni, they felt it was important to help provide opportunities for future students. They established the Sangra Family Scholarship, which helps student athletes pursue their academic goals while continuing to follow their passion for sports. These scholarships ensure that students who are academically and athletically gifted can continue their learning journey without interrupting their education to work and save up for their tuition.

EXCELLENCE ON THE COURT

Claire played her first basketball season this year. She was named PACWEST Rookie of the Year, as well as Outstanding Female Athlete of the Year at Langara.

“When I was told that I would be receiving a scholarship, I was so grateful. I was very honoured because I was not able to work during the season this year due to my commitment to the team. This award has been so impactful and allows me to focus on both basketball and school.”

– Claire Huang

“Thank you for making this award possible not only to me, but several other deserving student athletes who are able to continue their education with the help of this scholarship. This makes a big difference in our lives, and I could not be more grateful!”

– Claire Huang

HIGHER LEARNING CAN HAPPEN EVEN IN ONE’S LATER YEARS

Journalist Lee Bacchus was a much-loved writer who worked in media for 20 years after he graduated from Langara's Journalism program. Before that, he worked as a teacher. But Lee's calling was always writing and current events.

Lee was 30 years old when he started the Journalism program, after graduating from Simon Fraser University several years before. When he graduated from Langara, he went on to work as a writer at CKVU, a television station in Vancouver. In 1981 he went on to write for the Vancouver Sun, as a general news reporter, feature writer, and later in sports and entertainment. After a decade in the Sun newsroom, Lee transferred to the The Province in 1989, where he was a movie and television critic, and later a pop culture columnist.

Supporting a career change and finding one’s passion.

He was known for his sense of humour and kind spirit, so it was a shock to the community when he suddenly passed away in 2021. To honour his legacy, his partner, Patti Bacchus, established an endowed award for students like him who start their journalism career later in life.

Although Lee found his passion later in life, it did not deter him from succeeding. His legacy shows us that life paths can change at any time, and that it is never too late to pursue your passion. This was Patti’s wish when she created the scholarship. “Lee was grateful for the opportunities his Journalism diploma gave him, and it’s my family’s hope that this award will enable others to return to school and find their own opportunities through the Journalism program.”

“I decided to create this award to honour Lee’s life and recognize the impact the Langara Journalism program had on him. Lee and I both graduated from the program, a few years apart. Journalism was a second career for Lee, as he started out as a teacher, but quickly realized it wasn’t the job for him.”

– Patti Bacchus