Release from Georgian College
This December, Georgian College celebrated the incredible milestone of raising more than $765,000 for the WOMEN'S inTUITION scholarship endowment. Founded by Giselle Bodkin, a partner with BDO Barrie, this fund was created in 2015 to help break down financial barriers for women studying at Georgian.
More than 250 donors contributed to the fund, resulting in over 235 awards, scholarships and bursaries that have been given to female students, allowing them to focus on their studies to achieve their academic, career and personal goals.
“Education has always been the great equalizer for earning an income and being able to support yourself,” shared Bodkin, WOMEN’S inTUITION founder and Georgian Advancement Committee member. “I’ve always been a doer, and after attending a special event focused on female empowerment, I knew there was more I could do to help create more opportunities for those students that need it.”
From that moment, Bodkin’s mission became personal. Her late sister-in-law, Leanne Kavanagh, was a registered nurse who had put herself through Georgian’s nursing program. While Kavanagh tragically passed away from brain cancer, she had a long and fulfilling career as a nurse, and WOMEN’S inTUITION was opportunity to open doors for other women with similar financial challenges.
“I think back to Leanne,” recalled Bodkin, while speaking to a packed room of donors and supporters. “She started as a bartender, and worked tirelessly at that job while studying part-time in Georgian’s nursing program to build a new career and life for herself. Tirelessly. How many more women can we help so they won’t have to worry about finances and start putting themselves first? How can we create those opportunities?”
To celebrate the milestone, supporters were treated to a morning featuring special performances from local female friends of the college, including Barrie’s first female Poet Laureate, Victoria Butler, and live local artist, Alexandra Gronfors, who finished a commemorative painting reflecting the themes of the fundraising initiative during the duration of the event.
“We are honoured by Giselle’s commitment to an unrivaled student experience,” said Kevin Weaver, Georgian College President and CEO, while delivering remarks. “Giselle’s tenacious advocacy for improving the lives of women and their communities by ensuring access to postsecondary education is infectious. Reaching this fundraising goal would not have been possible without her leadership and fierce championship of this ground-breaking initiative. You were the visionary and continue to be the driving force of WOMEN’S inTUITION.”
Donors to the campaign created a number of new awards and scholarships in addition to funding a permanent endowment that will provide annual financial support to students.
The WOMEN’S inTUITION fund is now a permanent program at Georgian. For more information on WOMEN’S inTUITION or to make a donation, please visit the program website.
