Brightening futures through the SAIT Family Campaign

“A caring community builds brighter futures.” – Anonymous

There’s something special about making a positive impact in someone’s life. Some researchers even say happiness could come from performing an act of service for another, giving us that feeling of satisfaction or “a warm glow.”

Supporting student success is at the heart of the SAIT Family Campaign and this year’s support from faculty and staff continues to spread that “warm glow” across campus. SAIT employees have raised over $72,300 through the annual campaign this year.

“Over 300 employees participated, and hundreds of donations have been received,” says Anna Kravchik, Annual Giving Manager at SAIT. “It’s heartwarming and inspiring to see the tremendous support from employees bringing financial relief to students and making a real difference in our community!”

During the six-week campaign, employees sent 1,008 ShoutOuts to their colleagues with notes of appreciation. This year’s campaign introduced the opportunity to send Inclusion Matters ShoutOuts, recognizing members of the SAIT community who model inclusivity in action and work to ensure everyone feels welcome, respected and empowered to succeed. A total of 122 Inclusion Matters ShoutOuts were sent contributing to the Inclusion Matters Fund, which supports the implementation of SAIT’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.  

For students who receive a scholarship or bursary, the impact can be life-changing. The cost of tuition, technology and fees can be barriers to enrolling in post-secondary education. Through the generosity of SAIT’s caring community, those barriers can be eliminated. Every year, SAIT offers over $5 million in awards to students, and donations of any amount have a tremendous impact on students’ lives when combined with other gifts.

Métis Scholars Award recipient Brittany MacDonald said, “I thoroughly enjoyed my experience as a student and an athlete at SAIT. Both opportunities were made possible through the generous support of the Métis Scholars Award.

“I am extremely grateful to be a recipient of this award. It was instrumental in helping me to achieve my goals.” MacDonald recently graduated from the Medical Radiologic Technician program and now works in her chosen field as a Medical Radiologic Technician in Calgary. 

Two student awards supported by this year’s campaign are the Grace Chantiam Bracci Memorial Award and the Naomi Fujikawa Memorial Award.

Grace Chantiam Bracci was a manager in Employee Services at SAIT and worked hard to build a supportive community within her team and across campus. Grace wanted her legacy to represent her passion for learning at SAIT in the form of scholarships for students pursuing their studies in Hospitality and Human Resources.

“This year, [the SAIT Family Campaign] has special meaning for me, as the fund set up in Grace's name has nearly enough money to start making grants to students. Establishing this fund was one of Grace's final wishes. She would be so happy with the impact she will have on students for years to come,” said Gregory Juliano, Associate Vice President of Employee Services.

Since 2009, SAIT’s Family Campaign and the employees who have participated in it have been instrumental in supporting student success on campus. Learn more at sait.ca/familycampaign.