Facing an unexpected divorce and with two children to raise, Deanne Smith — a stay-at-home mom who had no sustainable income — made a life-changing decision to enrol in Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Bachelor of Psychiatric Nursing Program.

While Smith says the decision to go back to school was hard and she knew attaining her degree would be a constant struggle, Smith was determined to set an example for her children and to provide her family with a promising future.

Last fall, Smith learned she had been awarded three bursaries: The Bachelor of Psychiatric Nursing Award, The Ji Shen Award and the Dorothy Calvert Memorial Award. Together, the awards covered the cost of her spring 2012 semester.

“This was a huge blessing for me,” she said. “Being a single mother and being unable to work due to time constraints makes financial stress a huge burden of mine. I rely mostly on student loans to pay my tuition and related school expenses. The generosity of these donors relieved a lot of pressure and stress for this semester, which allowed me the freedom to concentrate fully on being a student and a mother instead of constantly worrying about money.”

Hoping one day to be in a financial position to “pay it forward,” Smith says donor support is something that truly impacts the lives of people receiving it.

“The act of donating money to students who are strangers is incredibly kind, thoughtful and generous. No matter what the amount, it is extremely helpful in our journey to achieving academic success.”