Carolyn Chin
1987 TFHA Alum
Current Position
A Generous Monthly TFHA Donor
In addition to Carolyn’s monetary donations, she gifts her time. As a member of the Provincial Interview Committee and active member and supporter of the Program, her contributions over the past 30 years are invaluable!
Carolyn reflects on her TFHA experience:
“I have such fond memories of my involvement with the TFHA and our regional and national gatherings from long ago. I am delighted to still be in touch with several alumni after all these years. The Program is a big part of who I am and has continued to influence the way in which I view community and the desire to help others.”
Pictured below: TFHA Alumni, Scholars, Board of Directors, Executive Director and staff in Ottawa for TFHA event (Nov. 2022)
Carolyn steps back in time and shares a walk down memory lane
We were fortunate enough to have Carolyn pull out an old scrapbook that captured her time at TFHA’s national and regional events in 1990 and 1991!
Carolyn shares her thoughts about her ongoing gifts to the Program
Donations go directly to the One More Award (OMA) Program, which makes additional awards available that would not have been possible otherwise. We are highlighting Carolyn’s generosity to inspire others to contribute to TFHA’s ability to better serve and fund the education of future Canadian leaders and trailblazers.
How long have you been donating to the Program?
I have been donating to the Terry Fox Humanitarian Award Program since the very beginning. In fact, in the early 1990s before the Monthly Giving / request for donations / One More Award started the Alumni used to contribute an annual fee to help pay for expenses associated with regional Alumni activities and the costs of regional mailings (yes, this is prior to the use of email!!!). When the number of Alumni gatherings eventually decreased there were no expenses to pay and as such the Alumni executive decided to donate the remaining funds to the TFHA specifically for an Award.
Why do you choose to donate to TFHA?
I am so proud and honoured to be associated with the TFHA and it is a small way to give back to an organisation that changed my life when I was awarded the scholarship back in 1987. As a member of the Provincial selection committee that is tasked with helping to evaluate the final candidates, I can honestly say that I know my donation is making a difference not only for the recipients of the Award but also for the communities in which they serve.
If you encouraged others to donate, what would you say?
As Alumni and recipients, we have all experienced the impact of receiving an Award especially in terms of lessening the financial burden of pursuing post-secondary education. Nowadays, the cost of an undergraduate degree is so much more than it was 37 years ago when I went to university so these funds are really needed by the current Program recipients. If you consider there are approximately 950 TFHA alumni from the past 40 years, and if we all donated even $50/month, we could raise $570,000! This is the equivalent to the cost of over 20 Awards that are being renewed for four years. Imagine the impact we could have on these change-makers of tomorrow!
Thank you Carolyn for your commitment and contributions to TFHA!
Donations help contribute to the education and future of exemplary Canadians who have thrived in the face of adversity. Your contributions make more scholarships possible for applicants from diverse backgrounds and with unique stories from across Canada.