Toluwanimi (Tolu) Okunola and Kamil Kanji have undergone transformative journeys since they began their time at UBC—shaped by their studies and the opportunities made possible through donor support. Not too long ago, the path to post-secondary education seemed unsure for both of them.

After studying for a social work diploma and working in the field, Tolu decided she wanted to return to school—but the financial barriers made it feel like a distant hope. Receiving the donor-funded Beyond Tomorrow Scholars Award didn’t just open a door—it transformed the course of her life.

“If I had not received it, I wouldn’t have been able to come back to school,” she says. “Receiving the award was everything! I was screaming, I was dancing, I was singing. It was joy all over.”

Tolu pursued a Bachelor of Management at UBC Okanagan, driven by her frontline experience supporting vulnerable populations. In her social work, she often observed that many non-profits struggled—not due to a lack of compassion, but a lack of strong management. Motivated to bridge that gap, she set out to study management to help organizations operate more effectively and create lasting change for the communities they serve.

“Being at UBCO has afforded me some amazing opportunities. In second year, I represented UBC at a student leadership conference in the USA, then, in my third year, I participated in Vancouver Foundation’s Youth Policy Program, where I learnt about Canada’s public policy system and presented a policy brief on Living Wages in BC. And in my final year, I served on the UBC Okanagan Senate, amplifying students’ voices in academic decision-making.”

Looking ahead, Tolu wants to continue working with people in need, such as refugees, and is passionate about leadership and policy work at a systemic level: “I want to be in management … where I can make change happen.”

Similarly, for Kamil Kanji, the path to post-secondary education was initially uncertain. It was the “generous support of donors to UBC” that made his journey possible. He was awarded the Trek Excellence Award in his first and second years, and receiving the Centennial Excellence Award was a pivotal moment. These donor-supported awards enabled him to pursue an honours specialization in Political Science with International Relations—a field he sees as “forever relevant” for understanding and transforming systems to better serve vulnerable populations.

“It was just utter joy and tears and absolute astonishment that I would be able to live out a dream I know many members of my family have always wanted.  My mom only completed the 12th grade, and my dad never went to high school—so I was really the first person to even make it this far,” recalls Kamil.

During his studies, Kamil proudly took on several serious roles; serving as VP Academic and University Affairs, an executive member of the UBC Alma Mater Society (AMS) student council, president of the Rotaract Club of Vancouver-UBC—a group of globally connected youth cultivating relationships and leadership skills through community service, and VP of the Student Legal Fund Society where he supported efforts to improve access to education.

Now applying to law schools—Kamil shares an ambitious dream: “My ultimate goal, at some point in my life, is to be on the Supreme Court. I hope to use my education, my experiences and my relationships to really do something good for the world.”

Tolu and Kamil exemplify how donor support empowers individual students in ways that ripple outward—touching countless lives and helping shape thriving societies.

“People don’t often realize how many students rely on donor generosity,” says Kamil. “Donors are ingrained in every aspect of what we do—from long-term capital planning that builds some of the best research facilities in the country to supporting individual students in their academic activities and successes.”

Tolu echoes this sentiment, saying, “Thank you for thinking beyond yourselves and putting something towards somebody else’s future, because you’ve changed my life! And it just causes a ripple effect of change, because I will go on to change other people’s lives, too.”

For both Tolu and Kamil, donor support was more than financial aid—it was the catalyst that transformed opportunity into purpose. Today, they’re not only achieving personal dreams, but preparing to reshape systems, lift up communities, and open doors for others—just as donors once did for them.