Trent University Report on Philanthropy 2005/2006
MAKING A DIFFERENCE: The Hamlin Family Legacy “If you think Trent made a difference in your past – you need to make a difference now.” This statement, spoken by Trent alumnus Brian Hamlin, highlights how strongly Mr. Hamlin feels about supporting an institution and a cause he believes in. It is a feeling that he shares with his family, one of Trent’s leading philanthropic supporters, whose philosophy is to work toward creating a culture of helping. In putting this philosophy into practice, the Hamlin Family Fund has established significant endowed bursaries. Started over the course of 2004/2005, their sizeable gift, matched by the Ontario Government’s OSOTF and OTSS program, resulted in a total gift of over one million dollars. The endowment will eventually provide $40,000 per year per year for the Hamlin Family Bursaries in support of students in financial need. From his home office, located on the second floor of a spectacular horse barn overlooking 30 acres in Collingwood, Ontario, Brian Hamlin reflects on the legacy that his family is leaving behind at Trent. It is a legacy that Mr. Hamlin, who graduated from Trent in 1988 with a degree in Environmental Resource Studies and Geography, greatly believes in, especially since he credits Trent with providing “the foundation for my character development.” Within his first few weeks on campus, Mr. Hamlin knew that he had made the right choice when he chose Trent. Citing the natural beauty of the campus and the vast opportunities to explore life from both an academic and personal perspective, Mr. Hamlin says that, from the beginning, Trent was just the “right fit.” And it is this sense of belonging and connection to Trent that Mr. Hamlin has carried with him throughout his life. Whether it is through his 20 plus year relationship with the Tall Boys, a band Mr. Hamlin formed with friends at
Trent, or his decision to attain his Bachelor of Education degree from Memorial University because it had the same “feel” as Trent, staying connected and making a difference at his alma mater has always been a priority. After teaching for a number of years in Collingwood, Ontario, Mr. Hamlin took early leave to pursue his interest in the new challenge of Independent Wealth Management. In addition to this role, Mr. Hamlin directs the Hamlin Family Fund, which is run through the Hamilton Community Foundation. His father, Ross, while working in Toronto, met and befriended Ted Tremain, a member of Trent’s Board of Governors. Asked about the impact the Hamlin Family Bursaries will have on students at Trent, Mr. Hamlin describes it as an opportunity to “level the playing field,” allowing students in need to continue and complete their education while minimizing the financial burden. Mr. Hamlin stresses that, although the bursaries assist individual students, the goal of the family’s support is to help a number of students. “It’s not about who finishes first but how many finish in total,” Mr. Hamlin explains. To date, the impact of the Hamlin family’s support is already being felt by a number of students – especially the first five recipients of the bursary who were each awarded $3,000 in February 2006. Mr. Hamlin says that hearing from this group of particular students (which includes sole-support parents, a landed immigrant struggling to gain a Canadian degree, and students with exceptional transportation costs) and the difference the bursary will make in their lives is a reward in itself. Looking to the future and thinking about the significant difference the Hamlin Family Bursaries will make in the lives of Trent students for years to come, it is not hard to see why the Hamlin Family believes so strongly in philanthropy and supporting the causes they most believe in.
Brian Hamlin
“It’s not about who finishes first but how many finish in total.”