Bow Valley College is proud of our diversity and our accessibility – we meet our students where they are at: on their own time and at their own pace. This Giving Day on November 30, our goal is to raise $40,000 to support student success, and to inspire the next generation of changemakers in our community, like Bow Valley College Addictions Studies student Mizze Cote-Walker.

Mizze is an Indigenous woman and the first member of her family to graduate high school and attend post-secondary. “I was intimidated to start at a post-secondary, but I was drawn to Bow Valley College because of the Indigenous hub,” Mizze says. “My dad was a residential school survivor, so the prospect of an education, in my family, was different. Education is more than just a piece of paper. It’s a mindset.”

Mizze has experienced first-hand the impact donors have on the lives of students. “During the pandemic, student awards have supported me to be able to continue with my studies. The world was put on hold, but my education was not,” Mizze says. “I was able to continue with my studies despite isolation requirements due to exposures at my job. When I was unable to work, the Board of Governor’s scholarship I received paid my rent for a couple of months.”

Mizze notes that the awards are meaningful financially but are impactful in other ways too. “The awards that had an academic focus gave me the confidence needed to apply for University,” she says. “The awards I received gave me validation, and confidence, in myself.”

“Education never seemed like an option for me,” she notes. “My dad feared I wouldn’t return from school even as a young child. But in 2018, I decided I was tired of living paycheque to paycheque, and I wanted more purpose in my life. Something told me Bow Valley College was where I needed to be. The Creator brought me here.” Your donations to Giving Day, and year-round, make a realimpact in the lives of students like Mizze. “Without the awards I received, I would have had to quit school. I would still be a retail manager who dreaded getting up every day to go to work,” Mizze says.

“Your donation offers students like me one step forward to a career and a sense of purpose. Even $5 can help someone get to school and back for a day.”

“Thank you for helping our whole community,” Mizze says. ‘Education helps support Truth and Reconciliation. This is a time to come together and support each other to continue to reach our goals.”

If you would like to give back to students like Mizze to ensure access to education for all students, visit our Giving Day webpage and make your donation today.