When Catherine Comben graduated from UBC with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics in 1967, she left with more than a degree. She left with a promise. At the time, not everyone in her family believed women should pursue post-secondary education and Catherine remembers the challenge of supporting herself. A bursary from Dean Walter Gage—known for creating financial aid programs and for assisting students from his own pocket—helped her stay on track with her studies.

Catherine Comben

“That support really made a difference,” Comben recalls. “I promised myself that if I ever had the chance to pay it forward, I would.”

Nearly six decades later, that promise was fulfilled through a generous estate gift made by Catherine and her late husband Herb, to establish the Catherine Vivian Comben and Herbert Christopher Comben Bursary Fund at UBC Okanagan. Their gift will help students overcome financial barriers and succeed in their studies, just as she was helped all those years ago.

Comben’s commitment to paying it forward started long before the couple made their gift. After relocating to Kelowna in 1982, Comben quickly immersed herself in local initiatives. Naturally curious and drawn to a challenge, she gravitated toward roles that demanded strategy and leadership. In 1993, she joined the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce board and in 1996 became the second woman president in the Chamber’s nearly 100-year history. Over the years, she also served in leadership or volunteer roles with the United Way, Crime Stoppers, the Mission Creek Greenway fundraising team, and the Rotary Club of Kelowna, where she again was the second woman to serve as president.

When UBC Okanagan opened in 2005, Comben helped form a local alumni chapter, which she chaired from 2008-2010. At the time, there were no UBC Okanagan graduates, and the campus needed a network. Comben helped build this from scratch, recruiting from UBC’s Vancouver campus until the Okanagan campus grew its own alumni community. During this period, Comben led the creation of the Okanagan Alumni Endowment Fund, building a new source of support for students. She went on to serve as an Okanagan representative to the UBC Alumni Association and as a UBC Okanagan Senate member.

Alongside her many community roles, Comben built a successful career in management with BCTel and her own financial consulting business. Her many accomplishments and contributions have been recognized with honours such as Kelowna’s Citizen of the Year Award, the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal, UBC Okanagan’s Alumni Community Builder Award, and the Harold Henderson Rotary Club of Kelowna Award.

Over UBC Okanagan’s first 20 years, Comben watched the campus grow from 3,000 students to more than 12,000 and saw the positive impacts students had on the region.

“Thanks to UBC Okanagan, students can stay in the community while they learn, and they bring real value through placements in fields like health and engineering. It benefits them and the community.”

Yet she also sees the escalating cost of education. “Affordability has always been an issue,” reflects Comben. “But today it shuts out too many students and it’s a challenge we need to tackle.”

These ongoing needs motivated the Combens to make their planned gift. “Some students have the drive and the ability, but they lose hope without support. If this helps them bridge that gap and make the best choices for their lives, their families, and the community, then it’s doing what it should.”

Dale Mullings, Associate Vice-President, Students at UBC Okanagan, says gifts like the Combens’ leave a lasting legacy. “Affordability remains one of the biggest challenges students face,” he says. “As proud alumni deeply connected to our Okanagan community, it’s inspiring to see the Combens take action to champion student success for our next generation. Their bursary will empower students to overcome financial barriers, thrive in their studies, and build strong future careers.”

For Comben, the purpose of their gift remains straightforward. “The need never goes away,” she says. “So, neither should the support.”