Alumni & Development

Getting this bursary allowed me to focus on my studies and my training. For example, in addition to internal placements, I was able to do an external placement for three consecutive semesters and accumulate nearly 200 hours of clinical experience under the supervision of experienced specialists. This experience led me to develop my skills as a future psychotherapist. In this way, I can better help those who come to me when they are in distress.On my own behalf and on behalf of current and future students of Saint Paul University, I would like to thank you for your contribution to the Guiding Transformation Together campaign. We all truly appreciate it! Thank you.

Before I started my doctorate, I got a master’s in Counselling from Saint Paul University in 2012, then I did a year of specialization in family and couple’s counselling. It has now been two years since I began working with clients in our new Counselling and Psychotherapy Centre (the Centre).The addition of new rooms and new technologies to the Centre has increased our capacity to serve the community and improve the quality of our services. The new Centre makes my life as a student easier thanks to the extra computers, the more user-friendly registration system, and a more spacious workspace for preparing our sessions with clients and having our weekly sessions with our supervisor. I sincerely believe that we are more effective in our support of the community.We are, after all, as a social enterprise, the largest provider of counselling services in the National Capital Region, and we now have a waiting list, which we are trying to absorb as quickly as possible. Our clients regularly compliment us on our new facilities.Thank you to all donors for your kind generosity, which we value so much. Your donations are important to us because they help to improve our services.”

I have always been motivated by social justice and, thanks to your donations, I can equip myself for this work. The program and the dynamics that we find here fulfill students’ expectations, including mine. All of us want to transform our society in a sustainable way, with the objective of building a better future. Thank you for being part of this transformation and thank you for helping us to pursue our goals.

I was most fortunate to receive the Saint Vincent de Paul Bursary in 2016. This very welcome bursary has afforded me the opportunity to study here at Saint Paul without financial concerns. It not only covered my first year’s tuition, but my textbook requirements as well. That represents only the tangible impact that this bursary has had on my student experience. What you cannot see is the incredible motivation that receiving this bursary, which acknowledged my past voluntary efforts, has given me.The bursary has made it possible for me to attend this unique learning institution, which is a perfect fit for my educational needs. The exemplary education, faculty and students here at Saint Paul University have not only motivated me to complete my present degree, but have convinced me to pursue a second undergraduate degree, as well as a master’s.Thank you so much again to the donors who have supported scholarship and bursary programs at Saint Paul University, and for the opportunity to share my story with you.”

It’s been a difficult journey, doing this on my own, because where I come from, we don’t see a lot of people who have been able to be successful … and it’s been such an honour to have so much support from this community, from Saint Paul University and from the KDS, to know that they think that this work is valuable, that they know that we can strive, we can do better and we can make those connections. It’s such an honour.”